The World Health Organization has issued its first global guidance for treating obesity in children and adolescents, placing structured nutrition, physical activity and behavioral support at the center of care while reserving medicines and surgery for narrower circumstances.
The guidance, released Wednesday, October 7, says treatment should be tailored to the child and involve caregivers. It also stresses that healthy food and opportunities for physical activity must be affordable and accessible; clinical treatment alone cannot reverse the wider rise in childhood obesity.
What WHO recommends first
For children and adolescents living with obesity, WHO strongly suggests programs that combine age-appropriate dietary support, physical activity and behavioral counseling. These programs should avoid blame and should recognize obesity as a complex health condition influenced by biology, environment, income, food access and other factors.
Digital support can be included when it is supervised, but it is not presented as a replacement for a qualified health professional or an individualized care plan.
For children younger than 10, WHO recommends against using obesity medicines, surgery or devices as routine treatment because long-term safety and effectiveness evidence remains insufficient, according to Reuters’ October 7 report on the guidance.
When GLP-1 medicines may be considered
WHO does not impose a blanket ban on GLP-1 weight-loss medicines for adolescents. It says a medicine may be considered for a patient ages 10 to 19 who has obesity when a supervised lifestyle intervention has not been sufficient.
That is a conditional clinical decision, not general advice for families to start or stop a drug. Product approvals also differ by country and age. In the United States, some GLP-1 medicines are authorized for certain adolescents, but that does not mean every young person with obesity is an appropriate candidate.
WHO nutrition official Luz María De Regil said evidence on the long-term effectiveness and safety of GLP-1 drugs in younger people remains limited and is still being monitored. Future evidence could change the recommendation.
What the guidance says about surgery
Bariatric surgery may be considered only for physically and mentally mature adolescents with severe obesity after at least six months of unsuccessful supervised treatment, Reuters reported. The recommendation describes a specialized pathway requiring careful assessment, not a first-line option.
Families considering medication or surgery should discuss the benefits, risks, age restrictions and alternatives with a pediatrician or a multidisciplinary obesity-care team. No one should change a prescribed treatment based only on a news article.
Why WHO acted now
WHO estimates that about 400 million people ages 5 to 19 were overweight in 2024, including roughly 170 million living with obesity. The prevalence of obesity in that age group has quadrupled since 1990.
The agency’s approach emphasizes sustainable support rather than short-term weight targets. It also points toward public policy: safer places to be active, less expensive nutritious food and health services that families can reach.
WHO’s adolescent health resource center provides broader context on health systems and young people’s care. For continuing coverage, visit AskNovus’ Health News and Nutrition sections.
Featured image: A family preparing food together, photographed by Jimmy Dean via Unsplash. The image is illustrative.