In a UK pediatric weight management clinic, 50 children aged 10-18 with comorbid obesity achieved significant BMI reduction and 6.4% weight loss at 6 months on once-weekly semaglutide 1 mg.
6.4% weight loss at 6 months50 children aged 10-18 with comorbid obesity treated with once-weekly semaglutide 1 mg in a UK clinic
What the researchers found
Once-weekly semaglutide 1 mg in children aged 10-18 with comorbid obesity produced 6.4% total weight loss at 6 months and 8.9% at 12 months in a real-world UK pediatric clinic.
Why it matters
Childhood obesity with comorbidities is a growing crisis with limited pharmacological options. This real-world evidence supports semaglutide's safety and efficacy in children — complementing clinical trial data with practical clinical experience.
The numbers in context
50 children; ages 10-18; BMI SD score >2; all with weight-related comorbidities including insulin resistance; minimum 6 months treatment.
How the study worked
Retrospective observational study of 50 children from a tertiary paediatric multidisciplinary weight management clinic in a UK hospital, treated with semaglutide for at least 6 months.
Who was studied
Children aged 10-18 with BMI SDS >2 and weight-related comorbidities
What this study cannot tell us
Retrospective observational study without a control group. Only 50 patients, with 12-month data available for only 14. Single center in the UK. Maximum dose was 1 mg (lower than the 2.4 mg used for weight management in adults). No long-term follow-up beyond 12 months.
How to read the evidence
Preliminary evidence — retrospective observational study without control group. Valuable real-world data but cannot establish causation. Small sample with limited long-term follow-up.
When this study was published
Published in 2024. Among the earliest real-world pediatric semaglutide studies in the UK.
The bigger picture
Pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy is entering a new era. While clinical trials established GLP-1RA efficacy in adolescents, real-world studies like this confirm that benefits extend to routine clinical practice — and that side effect profiles remain manageable in children.
Questions still open
- Would higher semaglutide doses (2.4 mg) achieve greater weight loss in children?
- What happens to weight when semaglutide is discontinued in pediatric patients?
- Are there differences in efficacy or side effects across the 10-18 age range?
Common questions
Is semaglutide safe for children?
How much weight did the children lose?
Read the original research
Semaglutide treatment for children with obesity: an observational study.
Archives of disease in childhood, 109(10), 822-825
Citation
van Boxel, Elizabeth-Jane; Rahman, Saqib; Lai, Karen; Boulos, Nabil; Davis, Nikki. (2024). Semaglutide treatment for children with obesity: an observational study.. Archives of disease in childhood, 109(10), 822-825. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2023-326687