Australian teens are being prescribed weight loss medications. Here's what parents need to know.

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As a health and lifestyle writer, I basically have RSI at this point from typing the names of GLP-1 medicines so many times. 

It appears in dozens, if not hundreds of headlines each day, running the sentiment gamut from life-saving wonder-drug to world-destroying vanity medicine and everything in between. 

The speed with which the western world has latched onto GLP-1 receptor agonists (originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes) as a means to treat weight issues is remarkable. And whatever your personal opinions about the medication and their impact on society may be when it comes to consenting adults, recent regulatory changes allowing certain weight-loss drugs to be prescribed to children as young as 12 have people feeling … unsettled. 

Watch: WELL: Weight loss drugs aren't one-size-fits-all. Post continues below.

The TGA's approval for Wegovy (a brand of GLP-1 receptor agonist) in adolescents is specifically for those who meet certain criteria: they must have an initial BMI (Body Mass Index) equal to or greater than the 95th percentile for their age and sex, and a body weight above 60 kg. The TGA's documentation specifies that treatment should be reevaluated and discontinued if the patient has not reduced their BMI by at least 5 per cent after 12 weeks.

In Australia, Ozempic is registered for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. A higher-dose brand, Wegovy, is registered for chronic weight management in adults and — under strict criteria — in adolescents aged 12 and over who meet BMI and weight requirements.

An episode of 60 Minutes recently profiled two teens — one of whom was just 14 years old — who'd been prescribed a GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight loss. 

Addy Moffit and her mum, Bec, spoke about the decision to try the GLP-1 receptor agonist as one they didn't reach easily. "We hear a lot of the time, 'it's the easy way out.'" said Bec, adding that it wasn't a decision they'd made lightly. 

In the episode, Bec stated that her daughter had tried various other methods and would take the dogs on hour-long runs each night to maintain her fitness, but failed to see results. 

"Finally, our endocrinologist came to us and said 'we've got a new drug on the market'," she said on 60 Minutes. 

It's important to note that experts warn that such narratives can create false hope, as outcomes vary and medicines remain under strict monitoring.

The concept of teens on weight-loss drugs can be jarring, and health experts stress that such cases are complex and carefully managed, and that prescribing for under-18s remains rare, highly restricted, and specialist-led.

In a social-media fuelled, image-obsessed society, is there a risk that these drugs might be dangerous in the wrong hands?

Elder millennial and Gen-X women - many of whom now have teen daughters - remember all-too well the Kate Moss, heroin-chic era of 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels'. It was dangerous - deadly, in fact - and spawned eating disorders, body dysmorphia and lifelong issues with food in many of us. 

Yet Dr Terri-Lynne South, Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Special Interest in Obesity Management, reiterates that prescribing weight loss drugs for teens is not something done without multi-modal considerations. It needs to be highlighted that non-medication approaches remain first-line and that medicines are only considered after other interventions fail.

Dr South noted that some newer medications show promise, but stressed they remain under safety monitoring and are only prescribed under strict specialist care. She added that our shifting understanding of obesity as being about far more complex factors than 'willpower' (which is damaging to children's mental health) is a positive thing.

"I'm hoping now that we actually have obesity management medications, people will start to understand that true obesity, which is not defined by weight and BMI, but true, clinical obesity, is a chronic condition," she said. 

"A disease entity of its own, deserving of the same sort of care that we give for people with type two diabetes or high blood pressure or these other genetically driven conditions that we're seeing greater numbers in because of the interplay in our environment."

"It's not something a GP would necessarily prescribe. Obesity management in teenagers is at the specialist level, and it's not just individual, it's whole-of-family therapy, it's multidisciplinary, and it really does need to be at that tertiary level."

In other words, no one is handing out jabs to children without first conducting comprehensive and holistic assessments. 

So, what about the long-term effects of these types of drugs? 

"These medications are still under what we call the 'black triangle' monitoring scheme, so we're still monitoring and looking for safety signals that weren't there in the original trials," explained Dr South. "I definitely think we need to be extra cautious with our young people. There's an ongoing investigation of the medications, although having said that, this class of medication has been around in some form for many years."

It should be noted that no new safety signals have emerged so far, but experts stress that long-term data in adolescents are limited, and use remains under additional monitoring.

"With these newer, more potent medications it's still a case of watch and wait," Dr South added. 

And while no parent loves the idea of 'watch and wait' when it comes to medication for their children, South says it's crucial to balance that concern with the very known outcomes for teens with obesity. 

Severe obesity in childhood can halve life expectancy, according to global modelling studies, and South says mitigating the risks on organs and other health factors needs to be a consideration for parents and families. 

"We actually do know what happens with an obese teen. We know that person in general tends to become an obese adult, and they actually have the complications of obesity - and more severe complications - at much younger ages, because they're actually having the manifestation of the disease younger," Dr South said. 

"So I think that yes, we can be concerned about our young people's health in relation to potential side effects from a relatively new medication, but we also need to be concerned about the health of our young obese teenagers, because we know that their trajectory is even worse than that of an adult living with obesity."

This article does not promote or endorse any medicine or therapy. It is intended for general information purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified health professional for personalised advice.

Feature Image: Getty.