Ozempic for kids? Won’t solve ‘obesity crisis,’ doctor says

Studies looking at whether kids can take drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy
Childhood obesity affects nearly 20% of young Americans
Doctor: Drugs alone won't fix problem; lifestyle changes needed

Updated: Dec 22, 2023 / 06:55 PM CST

(NewsNation) — America is facing a rise in childhood obesity, and the proliferation of weight loss drugs among adults has led to studies examining their effectiveness for children.

Would you give your child Ozempic?

“This is not going to solve the obesity crisis,” said Dr. Jaime Seeman, an expert in nutrition, exercise, health science and integrative medicine.

She suggested on “CUOMO” that parents must lead by example and teach their children good health habits.

“These medications do have side effects, they’re very expensive, and what we’re really missing is the broad societal problem with obesity when it comes to lifestyle medicine,” Seeman said. “If we were eating healthy and working out for 60 minutes a day, we would not be dealing with a childhood obesity crisis when it comes to these medications.”

Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which were initially manufactured for people living with diabetes, have surged in popularity since research showed the active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, works for weight loss.