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Curbside Consultation

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Obesity in Adolescents

Daniel T. Schoenherr, MD
Mary K. Swinton, DO
Kristan E. Madison, MD, DABOM, DipABLM

American Family Physician. 2026;113(1):91-94.

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships

DANIEL T. SCHOENHERR, MD, and MARY K. SWINTON, DO, David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, California

KRISTAN E. MADISON, MD, FAAP, DABOM, DipABLM, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland

Address correspondence Daniel T. Schoenherr, MD, at danieltschoenherr@gmail.com.

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships

  1. 1.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Childhood obesity facts. April 2, 2024. Accessed March 11, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood-obesity-facts/childhood-obesity-facts.html
  2. 2.Stefater-Richards MA, Jhe G, Zhang YJ. GLP-1 receptor agonists in pediatric and adolescent obesity. Pediatrics. 2025;155(4):e2024068119.
  3. 3.Hampl SE, Hassink SG, Skinner AC, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity. Pediatrics. 2023;151(2):e2022060640.
  4. 4.Kelly AS, Auerbach P, Barrientos-Perez M, et al.; NN8022-4180 Trial Investigators. A randomized, controlled trial of liraglutide for adolescents with obesity. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(22):2117-2128.
  5. 5.Weghuber D, Barrett T, Barrientos-Pérez M, et al.; STEP TEENS Investigators. Once-weekly semaglutide in adolescents with obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(24):2245-2257.
  6. 6.Hannon TS, Arslanian SA. Obesity in adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(3):251-261.
  7. 7.American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 8. Obesity and weight management for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2025;48(1 suppl 1):S167-S180.
  8. 8.Kelly AS, Bensignor MO, Hsia DS, et al. Phentermine/topiramate for the treatment of adolescent obesity. NEJM Evid. 2022;1(6):10.1056/evidoa2200014.
  9. 9.Chanoine JP, Hampl S, Jensen C, et al. Effect of orlistat on weight and body composition in obese adolescents: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2005;293(23):2873-2883.
  10. 10.Chang SH, Stoll CRT, Song J, et al. The effectiveness and risks of bariatric surgery. JAMA Surg. 2014;149(3):275-287.
  11. 11.Fox CK, Barrientos-Pérez M, Bomberg EM, et al.; SCALE Kids Trial Group. Liraglutide for children 6 to <12 years of age with obesity. N Engl J Med. 2025;392(6):555-565.
  12. 12.Endocrine Society. Insurance often denies GLP-1 medications for teens with type 2 diabetes, obesity. June 1, 2024. Accessed July 11, 2025. https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2024/endo-2024-press-castano
  13. 13.Jhe GB, Egbert A, Ievers-Landis CE, et al. GLP-1 receptor agonists for treatment of pediatric obesity. Child Obes. 2025;21(6):503-510.
  14. 14.Billingsley A. A GoodRx savings guide to GLP-1 receptor agonists. December 1, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.goodrx.com/classes/glp-1-agonists/glp-1-drugs-cost-and-savings
  15. 15.U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss. September 25, 2025. Accessed November 5, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss
  16. 16.McIntyre RS, Mansur RB, Rosenblat JD, et al. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and suicidality. J Affect Disord. 2025;369:922-927.
  17. 17.U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Update on FDA's ongoing evaluation of reports of suicidal thoughts or actions in patients taking a certain type of medicines approved for type 2 diabetes and obesity. January 11, 2024. Accessed May 12, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/update-fdas-ongoing-evaluation-reports-suicidal-thoughts-or-actions-patients-taking-certain-type
  18. 18.Kerem L, Stokar J. Risk of suicidal ideation or attempts in adolescents with obesity treated with GLP1 receptor agonists. JAMA Pediatr. 2024;178(12):1307-1315.

Case scenarios are written to express typical situations that family physicians may encounter; authors remain anonymous. Send scenarios to afpjournal@aafp.org. Materials are edited to retain confidentiality.

This series is coordinated by Caroline Wellbery, MD, associate deputy editor.

A collection of Curbside Consultation published in AFP is available at https://www.aafp.org/afp/curbside.

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DNA-Based Blood Test: 82% Sensitive and 91% Specific for Colorectal Cancer, but Only 12% Sensitive for Advanced Adenoma

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