The World Health Organization has recommended diet, physical activity and behavioral support as the primary approach to tackling obesity among children and adolescents, placing greater emphasis on lifestyle interventions than weight-loss medicines in its first global guidance on childhood obesity.
The WHO’s recommendations come as obesity becomes an increasingly significant health concern among younger people. UNICEF data indicates that obesity has overtaken being underweight as the most common form of malnutrition among school-aged children and adolescents worldwide.
The health agency said GLP-1 weight-loss medicines may be considered for adolescents between 10 and 19 who have obesity, but only when supervised lifestyle interventions have not produced sufficient results. Bariatric surgery may also be considered for physically and psychologically mature adolescents with severe obesity after at least six months of unsuccessful treatment.
WHO does not recommend obesity medicines, surgery or devices for children under 10 because of limited evidence regarding their safety and long-term effectiveness. Instead, it supports tailored nutrition, regular physical activity and behavioral programs that involve caregivers.
Luz María De Regil, director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, said evidence on GLP-1 medicines in children remains limited. She noted that ongoing trials could provide additional information on their effectiveness and safety, potentially leading to changes in future recommendations.
Several GLP-1 medicines are already authorized for younger patients in some markets. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Saxenda are approved for certain adolescents aged 12 and above in the United States and European Union, while the EU permits Saxenda for some children aged six to 11.
WHO also stressed that healthy food and opportunities for physical activity must be affordable and accessible. Medical treatment alone, it said, cannot address the broader factors contributing to rising childhood obesity.
Around 400 million people aged five to 19 were overweight globally in 2024, including approximately 170 million living with obesity. WHO estimates that obesity prevalence in this age group has quadrupled since 1990.
