Use of obesity drugs rises among children as costs remain unsubsidised

Nearly 1,000 more children and adolescents received prescription obesity medication last month compared with the same period a year ago, according to figures from Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare obtained by news agency TT.

Despite growing evidence of their effectiveness, the drugs remain unsubsidised, with monthly costs reaching up to 3,000 kronor, Annika Janson, a senior consultant at the National Centre for Childhood Obesity in Stockholm, told public broadcaster SVT.

“I think this is a major equality issue,” Janson said. “Children and adolescents who need this medication should be able to access it without the cost becoming a burden their families cannot prioritise.”

A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, involving more than 3,000 children, found that the most effective treatment for childhood obesity combines lifestyle changes with medication. A separate study from Karolinska University Hospital in March reached similar conclusions.

“These drugs make a significant difference for many of the children I see with severe overweight or obesity,” Janson said.

Obesity is more prevalent among socioeconomically disadvantaged children, according to Unicef and Uppsala University.

Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed told SVT that while obesity patients should receive “good and equitable care,” subsidising such drugs risks “subsidy slippage” — uncertainty over who would qualify. He added that the government is examining how to ensure subsidised medication reaches the intended group.

Similar drugs, such as Ozempic, have gained broad popularity as a straightforward weight-loss solution.