All doses of Wegovy® are now available. Click here for the latest information.
To help children aged 12 years and older with obesity to lose excess body weight and keep it off, along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.
(semaglutide) injection
If your child is 12 to 17 years old and struggles with obesity, learn how Wegovy® may help them manage their weight.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines obesity as a disease that affects people of all ages, including adolescents.
BMI is a calculated measure of weight relative to height. BMI is used as a medical screening tool for assessing obesity and overweight. Obesity in children is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile on sex- and age-specific growth charts.
Health care professionals use this tool to track changes in weight and screen for obesity.
For more information on how BMI is calculated for adolescents, see the FAQs.
Over 1 year and 4 months (68 weeks), a medical study looked at the effect and safety of Wegovy® in adolescents with obesity. After a 3-month (12-week) screening period in which each participant received behavioral lifestyle therapy (counseling about healthy nutrition and physical activity), participants were then randomly assigned to two groups. One group was given Wegovy® while the other was given placebo (an inactive injection). Participants continued to receive lifestyle therapy throughout the trial.
Adolescents aged
12 to 17 years old
Who had obesity,
with a BMI at or above the 95th percentile (according to sex- and age-specific growth charts)
Took Wegovy®
The average starting BMI was 37.7. (The average starting weight was approximately 242 lb.)
Took placebo
The average starting BMI was 35.7. (The average starting weight was approximately 226 lb.)
Adolescents taking Wegovy® had
on average a
16.1 | % |
BMI reduction
Adolescents taking
placebo had on
average a
0.6 | % |
BMI increase
Adolescents taking Wegovy®
had on average a
16.1 | % |
BMI reduction
Adolescents taking placebo
had on average a
0.6 | % |
BMI increase
In both groups, 10% of participants discontinued the study.
In medical studies, people who stopped taking Wegovy® generally regained weight.
Health plans can be tricky to understand. We can help you check your insurance details to see if your plan covers Wegovy® for your adolescent.
Wegovy® is a prescription weight-management medication taken once weekly. It’s taken on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food.
*At month 5 and on, your adolescent may either stay at 1.7 mg or increase to 2.4 mg. Work with your adolescent's health care professional to determine the right dose.
Check in with your adolescent’s health care professional while stepping up their dose to discuss your adolescent’s progress and what’s working for them. Be sure to bring up any side effect that bothers them or does not go away. If your adolescent has trouble tolerating a dose after stepping it up, their health care professional may recommend delaying the dose increase for 4 weeks.
Your adolescent’s health care professional is always the best person to go to for answers about side effects of Wegovy®, stepping up your adolescent’s dose, and beyond.
You can also find details in the Wegovy® Medication Guide or call the Wegovy® Navigation Line at 1-833-4-WEGOVY (1-833-493-4689) Monday-Friday between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM ET.
When you begin or think about starting your adolescent on a medication, you may have questions. Discover additional, more general information about Wegovy® by visiting the frequently asked questions on Wegovy.com.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
Please see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for Wegovy®.
Wegovy® is a prescription medication.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
This site is intended for US patients only.
WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity:
Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age.
WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity:
Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
Please see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for Wegovy®.
Wegovy® is a prescription medication.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
This site is intended for US patients only.
WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity:
Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age.