Use of weight-loss drugs soars among kids, young adults

Israel McKenzie is pictured in Chattanooga, Tenn., May 21, 2024. In 2023, the drug Wegovy helped him shed 110 pounds in nine months, making him part of a surge in the use of medications to treat diabetes and obesity in adolescents and young adults. This image provided by Novo Nordisk in January 2023 shows packaging for the company's Wegovy drug.

At 17, Israel McKenzie was so burdened by obesity that he stopped going to high school in person and was embarrassed to speak to people at his restaurant job.