Study warns of nutritional deficiencies in children on GLP-1 treatments for weight loss

Research reveals nearly one in six children prescribed GLP-1 drugs for weight management develop deficiencies within a year, prompting calls for early nutritional support and monitoring in paediatric care.

A new study suggests that children prescribed GLP-1 medicines for weight loss or early metabolic disease may need nutritional monitoring from the outset, after researchers found that nearly one in six developed a diagnosed deficiency within a year of starting treatment.

The research, published in Childhood Obesity and based on national insurance claims data from 2017 to 2022, identified 2,031 patients aged 10 to 17 who had begun GLP-1 therapy and had no prior recorded deficiency. Within 12 months, 16.8% were diagnosed with one, according to the analysis, which drew on a claims pool covering more than 100 million people.

Vitamin D was the most common problem, affecting 12.4% of the children studied. The report also found that liraglutide accounted for most prescriptions, at 78.6%, followed by dulaglutide at 10.4% and semaglutide at 9.1%.

The findings raise broader questions about how well nutritional support is built into paediatric care when these drugs are used. Justin Ryder, the senior author and vice chair of research in the department of surgery at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, said in the study that nutrition should be a “critical role” once GLP-1 treatment begins. He said only 5% of patients received nutritional counselling within 30 days and fewer than a quarter had it within six months.

That gap matters because adolescence is a period of rapid growth, and deficiencies in vitamin D, iron and calcium can have consequences for bone health and development, the researchers said. The study adds to calls for doctors to assess diet, bloodwork and nutrient support early in treatment rather than waiting until a deficiency appears.