WHO advises against drugs and surgery for children under ten with obesity

The World Health Organization released its inaugural guidelines targeting the surge in obesity among children and adolescents, recommending comprehensive diet, exercise and behavior change programs while rejecting any pharmacological, surgical or device-based treatments for those aged 0-9. For youths aged 10-19, the use of approved weight-loss medicines is permitted only after a supervised multimodal lifestyle regimen proves ineffective, and bariatric surgery may be considered in severe obesity cases with complications, provided strict criteria are met.

These recommendations differ from the WHO’s adult obesity guidance issued in December 2025, which allows the use of GLP-1 agonist drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. The agency noted that 70 million children aged five to nine and 100 million adolescents worldwide are currently obese, with prevalence rising from 2 % in 1990 to 8 % in 2024. Luz Maria De Regil emphasized that the core of pediatric obesity care lies in accessible, holistic support rather than medical interventions, and the guidelines also stress the need to address mental-health issues that can exacerbate unhealthy habits. Maria Nieves Garcia Casal added that bariatric surgery for adolescents is only an option when severe obesity is accompanied by complications like type 2 diabetes or hypertension and lifestyle changes have failed.