The Daily Telegraph has reported that the number of children taking anti-obesity drugs has risen 15 times over the last decade. A study of data from GPs between 1999 and 2006 indicates that up to 1,300 children and teenagers are being prescribed the drugs every year, even though they are not licensed for use by children. The newspaper said that most prescriptions “were for 14-year-olds, although 25 prescriptions were written for children under the age of 12”.