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WHO Issues First Child Obesity Guidelines, Prioritizing Lifestyle Over Drugs
The World Health Organization has made its first treatment guidelines for children and teenagers with obesity.
It says healthy eating, exercise and lasting changes in habits should be the main approach.
For children under 10, it does not recommend weight-loss drugs or surgery.
For teenagers, a doctor may consider approved medicines if a supervised lifestyle program has not helped enough.
Surgery may be considered only for some teenagers with severe obesity and under strict conditions.
The guidelines also say mental health matters.
Anxiety, sadness, bullying and stigma can affect young people living with obesity.
WHO says obesity is increasing around the world, and estimated that 170 million children and teenagers were affected in 2024.
The World Health Organization issued its first guidelines on obesity treatment for children and adolescents.
For children aged 0–9, WHO does not recommend weight-loss medicines, bariatric surgery or weight-loss devices.
For adolescents aged 10–19, approved medicines may be considered if supervised lifestyle treatment has not worked; surgery may be considered under strict conditions for severe obesity.
WHO recommends structured diets, physical activity and sustainable behaviour changes, and says mental health should also be addressed.
WHO estimates 70 million children aged 5–9 and 100 million adolescents aged 10–19 were obese worldwide in 2024.
- Who
- The World Health Organization (WHO).
- What
- WHO issued its first guidelines for treating obesity in children and adolescents, emphasizing lifestyle support over medicines or surgery.
- Where
- Worldwide.
- When
- The guidelines were released Thursday; the article gives no specific date.
- Why
- To address rising obesity among children and adolescents and recommend appropriate care.
Key facts
- Children aged 5–9 with obesity
- About 70 million worldwide in 2024
- Adolescents aged 10–19 with obesity
- About 100 million worldwide in 2024
- Obesity prevalence among 5–19-year-olds
- Rose from 2% in 1990 to 8% in 2024
- Children aged 0–9
- WHO does not recommend pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery or weight-loss devices
- Adolescents aged 10–19
- Approved medicines may be considered after supervised lifestyle treatment has not achieved desired results
- Adolescent surgery
- May be considered under strict conditions for severe obesity
- Recommended care
- Healthy eating, physical activity, sustainable behaviour change and attention to mental health
Quotes
World Health Organization
The United Nations health agency issuing the child-obesity guidelines.
“WHO does not recommend pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery (surgery that changes the stomach or digestive tract) or weight-loss devices for children aged 0-9 years”
NDTV
Luz Maria De Regil
Director of the WHO's nutrition and food safety department.
“The foundation of obesity care for children and adolescents is not medicine or surgery, but access to comprehensive support that enables healthy eating, physical activity and sustainable behaviour change”
NDTV
Sources
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