Weight-loss medicines or surgery not a solution to child obesity: WHO issues global guidelines

Amid the rising incidence of childhood obesity and the growing popularity of weight-loss drugs globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released its first guidelines stating that medicines or surgery should not be considered the first line of treatment to manage childhood obesity cases.

“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,” said Dr Luz María De Regil, director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO. “Our priority must be to ensure that every child and adolescent can access quality care and supportive environments from an early age, helping them achieve and maintain a healthy weight and laying the foundation for lifelong health and well-being.”

In an effort to address the rising incidence of childhood obesity , the WHO aims to guide health systems and health workers on providing timely and evidence-based treatment.

Children from zero to nine years of age are not recommended for pharmacological interventions or weight-loss surgeries, citing lack of evidence. For adolescents aged 10–19 years, the global health agency said, treatment with approved medicines may be considered only when a supervised multimodal lifestyle programme has not achieved the desired results. Bariatric surgery may be considered under strict conditions for adolescents with severe obesity.

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Moreover, conditioning children to become dependent on weight-loss drugs from the beginning can eventually lead to them bearing extensive healthcare costs in the long run.

Obesity is a chronic condition that can be managed with appropriate care. Its long-term effects can include increased risk of non-communicable diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. “Children and adolescents living with obesity may also experience stigma, discrimination and bullying. Preventing and managing obesity is essential to protect the physical and mental health of children and adolescents and support their healthy growth, education, social well-being and quality of life.”

In 2024, 170 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were living with obesity, including 70 million children aged 5–9 years and 100 million adolescents aged 10–19 years. Obesity prevalence in this age group has quadrupled since 1990, rising from 2 per cent to 8 per cent.