By Storm Newton

Copyright dailyrecord

Weight loss jabs are all the rage since medication like Mounjaro – used to help treat type 2 diabetes but now recommended to help dangerously obese people lose weight on the NHS – became available in the UK last year. There are around 1.5 million people on weight loss drugs in the UK with more than half of them on Mounjaro, according to the BBC. And it turns out children as young as six who are obese could start getting injected. Weight loss jabs could be effective on children who are obese or have type 2 diabetes , researchers are suggesting. However, youngsters taking the drugs could suffer worrying health affects, including nausea and vomiting. Experts in the US carried out a review and meta-analysis of 18 trials involving GLP-1 agonists – a family of drugs that help lower blood sugar levels, slow the digestion of food and can reduce appetite – on youngsters aged six to 17. The studies included 1,402 children and compared the effectiveness of GLP-1 agonists to placebo treatment in youngsters who were obese, overweight, had pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Researchers found the drugs “significantly improved” weight in obese children and those with type 2 diabetes. However, they highlighted that “gastrointestinal adverse events”, which can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, were “significantly more common” among those taking the drugs. Writing in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the researchers added that longer follow-up periods in future trials and more real-world studies are “essential to establish the long-term effects of GLP-1 RAs in children and adolescents”. In Scotland, the latest data from the Scottish Health Survey 2023 showed that 30 per cent of children aged two to 15 years were at risk of overweight or obesity , while 17 per cent were at risk of obesity. Last year, semaglutide was approved for treating obesity under the brand name Wegovy. It has also been licensed under the brand name Ozempic for treating diabetes in some circumstances, but not for weight loss in this country . At the same time, another drug called tirzepatide was approved specifically for weight loss by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) under the brand name Mounjaro. Since 2022, a third drug, liraglutide, has been approved under the name of Saxenda. But all of these medications currently come with strict criteria for their prescription on the NHS as part of a phased introduction. While the use of the drugs is limited on the NHS, they can also be bought privately. However, pharmacists and doctors have warned of risks to patient safety through online sales. Stricter checks were brought in earlier this year requiring in-person or video consultations, along with information from GP or medical records. It comes after the Record reported that Mounjaro manufacturer Eli Lilly is reducing the amount in its injection pens, removing the so-called ‘golden dose’. This means users who have been able to squeeze an extra dose from the leftover medicine in each syringe will no longer be able to get five weeks out of their monthly prescription.