In particular present on the market under the name of Ozempic, semaglutide is a medication that is mainly used to treat type 2 diabetes. However, the latter is also popular for its effects on weight loss. However, doctors are alarmed by an increasingly visible use in adolescents and above all, potential consequences on their health.
Fairly alarming studies
For some time now, the use of several semaglutide drugs have been the coast in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. However,
the use more and more present in adolescents is currently a source of concern, as evidenced by two studies. The first was published by the Truveta health systems collective on June 3, 2025 and the second (PDF in English / 24 pages), by the Evernorm Health Services at the start of the year.
According to this work, there is a strong increase in the number of US teenagers taking two in particular drugs: Ozempic and Wegovy. As Trontata explains, the prescriptions have increased by 50% in 2024 in 12-17 year oldsto reach an average of 14.8 prescriptions for 100,000 adolescents. Evernorth evokes a increase of 67.8% among 15-18 year olds (Gen Z).
Ozempic and Wegovy drugs are among the agonists of GLP-1 receptorsthus limiting the feeling of satiety. On the other hand, the meanders of the functioning of these substances remain quite unknown, despite several years of research. Experts have also identified shadow areas relating to long -term use, especially in adolescents.
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Consumers completely lost?
As Fururism indicates in an article of June 10, 2025, several doctors are not insensitive to the situation. Some even hesitate to prescribe these drugs And try other approaches. For example, it can be a physical exercise plan or even, making changes in food. In general, these health professionals share the same observation : drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy must often be taken in the long term (to maintain the weight stabilizing), while the decline concerning the effects on young people is not significant enough.
On social networks, the controversy continues to swell but
Some complaints seem fairly lunar. Indeed, the possible harmful effects of these long -term drugs are not really mentioned. Internet users are mainly complained of an increase in prices, which would be the cause of segregation with regard to people with few means. However, others still note that in parallel, more and more schools abolish sports lessons, while authorizing the sale of sodas in distributors.
