The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised against the use of weight-loss medicines, bariatric surgery and weight-loss devices for children under the age of 10, as it issued its first-ever guidelines for tackling childhood and adolescent obesity.
Instead, the UN health agency is recommending structured nutrition plans, regular physical activity and long-term behavioural changes as the main approach to managing obesity among children and teenagers.
“WHO does not recommend pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery or weight-loss devices for children aged 0-9 years,” the agency said.
For adolescents between 10 and 19, the WHO said approved obesity medicines could be considered in certain circumstances, but only when a supervised programme combining lifestyle changes has failed to produce the desired results.
Bariatric surgery may also be considered for adolescents with severe obesity, but only under strict conditions and particularly where obesity has already contributed to serious health complications.
The recommendations differ from the WHO’s guidelines for adults, issued in December 2025, which addressed the use of newer weight-loss medicines known as GLP-1 agonists. The drug class includes popular treatments such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.
According to the WHO, about 70 million children aged five to nine were living with obesity in 2024, alongside around 100 million adolescents aged 10 to 19 globally.
The agency said obesity among people aged five to 19 has increased sharply over the past decades, with global prevalence rising from about 2 percent in 1990 to 8 percent in 2024.
“The rise of obesity is observed everywhere in all regions,” said Luz Maria De Regil, director of the WHO’s nutrition and food safety department.
She noted that the problem is also increasing in low- and middle-income countries, while some wealthier countries are beginning to see the rise level off, although they have not yet recorded reductions.
“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,” De Regil said.
The WHO also stressed that obesity treatment should take mental health into account. Anxiety, depression and low self-esteem can contribute to unhealthy eating, inactivity and withdrawal from social activities.
Children and teenagers living with obesity may also face stigma and bullying, the agency warned.
Maria Nieves Garcia Casal, a scientist in the WHO’s nutrition and food safety department, said surgery could be considered during adolescence in cases of severe obesity involving complications such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension, particularly when dietary and lifestyle interventions have not worked.
Source: AFP.
