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A report from the Children’s Commissioner has revealed that two-fifths (41%; n=820) of children have seen adverts for prescription-only weight-loss drugs online — such as Ozempic (semaglutide; NovoNordisk), Mounjaro (tirzepatide; Eli Lilly) and Wegovy (semaglutide; NovoNordisk) — despite a ban on adverts for prescription-only weight-loss drugs in England.
Results of a survey, published in the Children’s Commissioner’s report on children’s exposure to appearance-changing products online on 10 February 2026, also found that girls (45%; n=900) were more likely than boys (37%; n=740) to see weight-loss injection adverts online.
Almost 1 in 10 children (8%; n=160) reported that they had bought or tried non-prescription pills that claim to help people lose weight, the survey results showed.
The Children’s Commissioner surveyed 2,000 children aged 13-17 years in December 2025.
Weight-loss drugs have been available on the NHS in England since mid-2025 and are available privately, which is subject to strict criteria.
“Despite this, young people told the office about the prevalence of weight-loss injections online,” the report said.
“Children spoke about seeing social media users discuss taking injections, or illegitimate adverts describing them as a way to rapidly lose weight. This was something which young people commented on, often aware that it was not being presented or used in a health context.”
Acknowledging the “controversy” around weight-loss drugs, the report has also referenced media reporting, which demonstrated “shortcomings” in how online pharmacies verify individuals’ age and BMI, and in how well this is regulated.
“[In a focus group], one young woman falsely believed that the drugs were available in pharmacies without a prescription, illustrating the perception that access to them was easy and widespread,” the report added.
In January 2026, the General Pharmaceutical Council published guidance on supplying weight-loss medication, as part of its updated inspection framework.
To pass inspections, pharmacies must independently verify a patient’s weight, height and/or body mass index when supplying weight-loss medication, the guidance says.
The children’s commissioner’s report also noted the impact of AI.
“Young people referred to advertisements for prescription-only weight-loss drugs believed to be created by the pharmacist and chain retailer, Boots, which was recently reported to be a widespread scam on TikTok and created using AI,” it said.
In November 2025, The Pharmaceutical Journal published a follow-up investigation into whether weight-loss drugs were still being promoted to teenagers, after an investigation in 2022 found that almost one-third (31%) of the 100 most popular TikTok videos appearing under the hashtag ‘#dietpills’ were actively promoting the use of diet pills for weight loss to an account registered as a 16-year-old female.
In the follow-up investigation, The Pharmaceutical Journal found that 15% of the top videos were actively promoting the use of weight-loss products, including Mounjaro and Wegovy — half of that in 2022.
The investigation also found that retatrutide — a once-weekly injection for weight loss under development by Eli Lilly — was being promoted to children.
