meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Story

The children taking Wegovy

The Story

The Times

Politics, Uk News, News, Long-form Audio, Global News, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Exclusive Interviews, Audio Storytelling, News Analysis, Current Affairs, Investigative Reporting, Daily News Podcast

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Since January, one clinic in the UK has started prescribing the weight-loss medication Wegovy to 12-17 year-olds. For some, the results have been life-changing. But without evidence about the long-term impacts, is it safe?


This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory


Guest: Roisin Kelly, commissioning editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Read more: The children taking Wegovy to turn their lives around

Further listening: Why weight loss drugs will change even more than you think

Photo: Times Media.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

From The Times and the Sunday Times, this is the story. I'm Manvine Rana.

0:10.1

Oh, there you go. Hello.

0:14.0

Over a Zoom call, a woman we're calling Emma is giving the Sunday Times as Rooshine Kelly a tour of her fridge.

0:22.4

I'm looking at my fridge next.

0:24.9

It's people to see my fridge.

0:27.0

Oh yeah.

0:27.6

It's protein and vegetables.

0:29.6

There's fresh fruit, vegetables, chicken and Greek yogurt.

0:34.4

It's all part of her 15-year-old son Tom's healthy diet. But stacked in boxes inside

0:40.9

the fridge door is another crucial ingredient.

0:44.2

This is actually. Oh, 2.4 milligrams.

0:51.5

2.4 milligram pens of the weight loss drug Wigovi.

0:57.0

Since the Zempec, Wiggovi and Manjaro became available, they've completely changed the

1:04.0

weight loss landscape.

1:06.0

Now, 15-year-old Tom is part of a small band of children being treated at the UK's only clinic that prescribes weight loss jabs to teenagers.

1:17.5

With an obesity epidemic sweeping the country and spreading faster among young teenagers than any other age group,

1:25.3

desperate parents who've exhausted all other options are starting to turn

1:29.8

to weight loss jabs, even though their long-term effects are still unknown.

1:35.4

It was just, we'd exhausted everything else. I didn't even have to think about it. I just felt

1:41.0

so desperate to try anything. Could these drugs be a miracle cure

1:46.5

for a generation addicted to screens and ultra-processed foods?

1:51.9

Or is this still too dangerous a gamble?

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Times, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Times and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.