Fat TEENAGERS should be given miracle, new weight-loss jabs for the rest of their lives, doctors say

Obese teens should be given new weight-loss pills for the rest of their lives, scientists have said.

Weekly injections of semaglutide were found to significantly reduce adolescent weight in a large trial of the new drug.

Experts said the findings support the call to give children as young as 12 the appetite-suppressing drug, in an effort to curb childhood obesity.

Researchers described the results of the treatment — in which children lost an average of three stones — as “transformative for many teens.”

They suggested that early intervention could help protect children from lifelong obesity and associated health complications.

But they warned that it was likely that kids would pile on the pounds once they stopped using the treatment, meaning they could potentially use it “for life.”

Nearly half of the 12- to 18-year-olds taking the drug fell below the clinical threshold for obesity, according to the study of 201 young people.

On average, the participants weighed 17 kilograms and lost 3 kilograms during the 16-month trial period.

Three-quarters (74 percent) of those taking semaglutide had an improvement in one or more BMI categories compared with less than one in five (19 percent) taking a placebo.

Overall, it was found to reduce the proportion of children with the most severe degree of obesity from 37 to 14 percent.

Dr. Aaron Kelly, from the University of Minnesota Medical School, presented his findings at the European Congress on Obesity in Dublin and said semaglutide should be available on the NHS to all obese teens “as part of a comprehensive treatment approach” including lifestyle advice.

It was found to reduce the proportion of children with the most severe obesity from 37 to 14 percent

He said: ‘Semaglutide is transformative for many children who can access it. It can be life-changing.

“Nothing brings me more joy than hearing the stories of adolescents who have struggled their entire lives to manage their weight. This gives them a tool to control their weight, it’s transformative for many teens.”

The earlier children started taking the medication, the better their outcome would be, he added, ideally to tackle obesity before it could fully progress.

But he admitted that those given the “life-changing” drug would probably have to take it for life or risk the weight piling back on.

He added: “Obesity is a chronic disease. So chronic diseases require chronic treatments. You will likely need to continue taking that medication for the rest of your life.

“When you take that treatment away, it’s like a rubber band, the weight goes back to where it started.”

Under the brand name Wegovy, the weight loss drug has recently been green-lit for use in adults on the NHS.

Regulators have yet to decide whether to allow its use — alongside a program of diet and exercise — for obese teens.

A Novo Nordisk spokesperson said: ‘Following clinical trials and a formal review by the MHRA, our medicines will be given a license which will outline the approved indication and recommended posology for adolescent patients in the UK.’

Commenting on the study’s findings, Professor Alex Miras, Professor of Endocrinology, Ulster University, said he would like to see the drug approved by NICE, but suggested delays in its availability could delay the procedure.

“Children in this trial lost a very significant amount of weight. What’s interesting is that so many achieved a normal BMI, which is a remarkable achievement,” he said.

“We expected the medication to become available for adults in May, but this has been postponed again. We don’t even know if it will be available this year.

“I think NICE is unlikely to move forward unless it has more certainty that the medication will be available.”