Parents today are being told to trust a medical fix for their child’s weight. In exam rooms across the country, doctors are prescribing injectable GLP-1 drugs to children within minutes of raising weight concerns. Families are reassured these medications are safe, well-studied, and necessary.
But what if the medication intended to protect a child’s future could instead interfere with their development, specifically their brain, hormones, bones and fertility?
Obesity is real, rising, and urgent. One in five U.S. children now meets the criteria for clinical obesity, and 42% of adults are also affected. Children are developing type 2 diabetes in elementary school, and teens face inflammation, depression and severe weight gain.
Action is necessary. But rushing children into a medication with unknown long-term consequences is not the answer.
“We do not know the long-term effectiveness and safety of these medicines in children… there are concerns about pancreas problems, thyroid cancer risk and bone health over the lifetime.”
The root causes of this epidemic are ultra-processed foods, gut dysbiosis, blood-sugar dysregulation, sleep disruption, chronic stress, which are not pharmaceutical issues. They require a different kind of care.
What Are GLP-1 Drugs?
GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro®) mimic a hormone that reduces appetite and slows digestion. Weight can drop simply because a child eats less, not because their metabolism is repaired.
“These drugs suppress symptoms, they are not correcting the disease process.”
Do GLP-1 Drugs Work for Weight Loss?
Short-term trials (here and here) show weight loss while actively taking the medication. In adolescents, semaglutide did reduce BMI more than lifestyle counseling alone for about a year.
But then what?
When adults discontinue semaglutide, about two-thirds of the weight lost returns within one year often with worsened insulin resistance.
“We are effectively asking children to stay on an experimental drug indefinitely to avoid rapid relapse.”
This implies lifelong dependence when therapy begins in childhood.
What About Hormones, Fertility, Bone Growth and Brain Development?
These drugs have not been studied long-term in youth for:
- Hormone maturation
- Reproductive development
- Bone density and peak bone mass formation
- Neurotransmitter balance and cognition
- Mental health stability under appetite suppression
Animal studies show fetal harm and reproductive toxicity. Emerging reports connect GLP-1 drugs with:
“We must apply the precautionary principle with any medication that affects dopamine and gut-brain signaling during puberty.”
No study has followed treated teens into adulthood.
Serious and Life-Altering Harms Are Already Reported
Regulatory systems are tracking:
- Stomach paralysis (gastroparesis)
- Bowel obstruction, including colon removal
- Acute pancreatitis and kidney failure
- Permanent vision loss
- Sudden deaths under investigation
“These aren’t mild side effects, they are hospitalizing events. We need caution, not hype.”
Thousands of lawsuits cite these harms in real patients.
If GLP-1 Drugs Are Risky, Why Are They Promoted So Heavily in the U.S.?
Pediatric trials are:
- Short in duration
- Small in size
- Funded by the companies seeking approval
Meanwhile, several European systems have slowed adoption.
“Public health services don’t want to pay for [Wegovy] if it won’t tackle underlying health conditions… merely a ‘vanity drug’ will not be covered.”
These drugs are still experimental for obesity, especially in children.
There Is Another Path, and It Works
At 15, Penelope weighed 320 pounds. She was told her biology was broken and that drugs or surgery were inevitable. She believed she had “tried everything.”
But the real root causes had not yet been addressed. When she learned to:
- Remove ultra-processed foods
- Stabilize blood sugar
- Repair gut health
- Regulate her nervous system
- Move daily in ways she enjoyed
She lost 160 pounds naturally, and has kept it off for more than a decade. Her biology wasn’t special. Her inputs changed.
This is not rare. It is repeatable when children are given the right support.
“Our first responsibility is to protect a developing child’s future potential.”
What Parents Should Ask Before Considering GLP-1 Treatment
- What is the exit plan?
- How will development be protected?
- Has a true metabolic assessment been done?
- Have root-cause lifestyle strategies truly been exhausted?
Children deserve healing, not dependency.
We Are Listening
If your family has experienced a severe adverse event from a GLP-1 medication or if you are a clinician witnessing harms, Documenting Hope is collecting reports confidentially. Your voice can help protect millions of children.
About Helene Leeds MS and Penelope Popken
Helene Leeds, MS is a leading expert in lifestyle medicine who has spent 30+ years helping families overcome obesity and chronic disease naturally. She has trained over 1,000 health coaches worldwide and developed programs used by top medical institutions. As a MasterChef finalist and media contributor featured in Forbes and FOX TV, she blends science with real-world solutions that protect a child’s long-term health.
Helene is here to help families navigate evidence, avoid harm, and access proven root-cause care. If you have questions or a story to share, she would love to hear from you.
Penelope Popken is a wellness leader, speaker, and co-founder of Step It Up and MAHA Girls. At 15 years old, she weighed 320 pounds and was struggling with anxiety, depression, and metabolic illness. Instead of accepting drugs or surgery as her only options, she turned to whole foods and holistic healing, losing 160 pounds naturally and transforming her physical and mental health.
Her mission now is to help women break free from unhealthy cycles, rebuild their confidence, and reclaim their energy. Through her programs and advocacy, Penelope empowers women across America to choose healing, strength, and a life they love.
Still Looking for Answers?
Visit the Documenting Hope Practitioner Directory to find a practitioner near you.
Join us inside our online membership community for parents, Healing Together, where you’ll find even more healing resources, expert guidance, and a community to support you every step of your child’s healing journey.
Sources & References
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Resources
Articles
Boots, Christina E. ARE GLP-1S THE NEWEST FERTILITY TREATMENT? Northwestern Medicine. Nov 2024.
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January – March 2024 | Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified by the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 3 Jul 2024.
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