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Weight-Loss Jabs and Kids: What's Happening in the UK in 2026

Clinical Base
Sep 16
4 min read

Updated: Oct 10

A calm, photo-realistic stethoscope resting beside a child's height-measurement wall chart in a softly lit clinic room

You've probably heard people talking about weight-loss jabs like Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Saxenda. These medicines are called GLP-1 drugs. That's short for a hormone your gut makes called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1). The drugs copy that hormone to help people feel full sooner and lose weight.

But here's something a lot of people don't know: some of these drugs are also given to children and teenagers in the UK. Let's break down what's actually approved, what's happening on the NHS and privately, and what doctors are still worried about.


What's actually approved for under-18s in the UK

In the UK, medicines are approved by a regulator called the MHRA (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). Right now, two GLP-1 drugs have MHRA approval for weight loss in under-18s.

Saxenda (liraglutide) was approved back in 2021 for young people aged 12 to 17, as long as they have a BMI of 30 or higher (BMI is a number doctors use, based on height and weight, to check if someone is a healthy weight) and weigh more than 60kg. It's a once-a-day injection, used alongside healthier eating and more activity.

Wegovy (semaglutide) is approved for the same age group, 12 and up, for young people whose BMI is at or above the 95th percentile for their age (meaning higher than 95 out of 100 other kids their age) and who weigh more than 60kg. Doctors are told to stop the medicine if it hasn't helped enough after the first 12 weeks.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a bit different. In April 2026, it was approved in the UK for children as young as 10, but only to help manage type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss on its own. A pharmacist called it "a significant advance in paediatric care" for diabetes, but it isn't licensed here as a stand-alone weight-loss treatment for children the way Wegovy and Saxenda are.


How kids actually get these medicines on the NHS

Getting these jabs isn't as simple as visiting your GP. NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which decides what treatments the NHS should offer) says these medicines should only be prescribed to under-18s through specialist children's weight-management clinics, not by a family doctor.

A 2025 news investigation found that, over five years, 399 children in England had been given these injections through the NHS, at specialist clinics in 18 out of 36 NHS hospital trusts that run them. The youngest was just 9 years old. One case involved a 15-year-old who lost 3 stone (about 19kg) over two years with support from a whole team, including a psychologist, dietitian, and physiotherapist, not just the injection alone. Doctors involved in these clinics are clear that the medicine is one part of a bigger support plan, not a quick fix by itself.


The worry: children getting these drugs privately, without that support

Alongside the NHS route, there's been a fast rise in private prescribing. One private GP told journalists her clinic grew from 5 child patients to around 50 within a few months, prescribing these jabs after a single 45-minute appointment, for a few hundred pounds. Health groups and pharmacy bodies have raised concerns about online and private prescribing happening without proper check-ups, and warned this could deepen unfairness, since families who can pay privately may get faster access than those waiting for NHS specialist clinics.

There's also serious concern about how these drugs are being advertised. England's Children's Commissioner surveyed teenagers in 2026 and found that 78% said adverts for appearance-changing products like these jabs had hurt their self-esteem, and 41% had seen prescription-only weight-loss injections advertised online, despite never legally being sold that way to children. She's called for these adverts to be banned from reaching kids on social media altogether.


What clinicians are still unsure about

UK obesity is a real and growing problem. The latest school measurement data found 1 in 10 children starting school, and over 1 in 5 by the end of primary school, are living with obesity, with rates highest in poorer areas. Experts say that's exactly why some severely obese children with serious health problems may genuinely benefit from these medicines. But they also stress big unknowns remain, including how these drugs affect growth, bones, and puberty over the long term, and that they should never replace proper medical support.


So what does this mean?

These jabs can help some children who are seriously unwell because of their weight. But UK experts are clear that they belong inside specialist NHS care, with a whole team of support, not something bought quickly online or through a rushed private appointment. If you're a parent thinking about this for your child, the safest step is speaking with your GP about a referral to a specialist children's weight-management service.

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