The World Health Organization (WHO) releases new global guidance on treating child obesity, advising against weight-loss medicines and bariatric surgery for children under 10. The WHO says care should focus first on lifestyle interventions that combine dietary changes, physical activity and behavioural support, rather than relying on drug or surgical “quick-fix” approaches.
For older children and adolescents, the guidance is more conditional. For ages 10 to 19, WHO says approved medicines should be considered only after a supervised, multimodal lifestyle programme has been tried and has not worked. Outlets also highlight WHO’s emphasis on understanding contributing factors, including mental health, alongside physical health when addressing eating habits and activity levels. Reports note that WHO cites limited long-term evidence for drug and procedural options in younger children.
