WHO advises against obesity drugs and surgery for children under 10

What are the new WHO guidelines?

The World Health Organization has issued its first global guidelines on childhood obesity, strongly advising against the use of weight-loss drugs, bariatric surgery, or weight-management devices for children under the age of 10.

Instead, the global health agency says treatment for younger children must focus on lifestyle changes, diet, and physical activity.

The guidance comes amid a surge in the popularity of GLP-1 medications, which have transformed weight-loss treatment but remain largely untested over the long term in young children.

"For children under 10, WHO does not recommend obesity medicines, bariatric surgery or weight-management devices," said Dr Luz De Rigil, the WHO’s director of nutrition and food safety. "This is a strong recommendation."

Why is the WHO advising against clinical treatments?

The primary concern for health officials is the lack of clinical data on how these treatments affect young, developing bodies over several decades, and whether children would have to remain on the drugs indefinitely.

Laurence Grummer-Strawn, the WHO’s head of nutrition and food safety actions, questioned the long-term viability of starting drug regimens so early.

"We are particularly concerned in this age group, if you are starting children very early on to using a GLP-1 or drugs like this, when does that stop?" Grummer-Strawn said.

"We don't really have evidence that you can use this as a temporary treatment and then turn to something dietary later on in life," he added, noting that the agency is "very cautious about jumping in without clear evidence."

For older children and adolescents, the guidelines suggest that medical interventions and surgeries may be considered, but only as a last resort. The WHO stated that these treatments should only be used if lifestyle interventions have already failed, and if the individual is deemed "mentally and physically prepared" for the regimen.

How severe is the global childhood obesity problem?

The guidelines arrive as childhood obesity rates continue to climb globally.

According to WHO estimates, roughly 170 million children and adolescents worldwide are currently living with obesity. This figure includes 70 million children between the ages of five and nine.

The prevalence of obesity in the five-to-nine age bracket has quadrupled over the last three decades, rising from 2% in 1990 to 8% today. The problem starts early: in 2024, an estimated 35 million children under the age of five were classified as overweight.

Obesity early in life significantly increases the risk of developing chronic health conditions later on, including type 2 diabetes.

While the current recommendations draw a firm line at age 10, the WHO acknowledged that the science surrounding obesity treatments is changing rapidly. De Rigil said the agency recognises this is an "evolving field" and committed to reviewing new clinical evidence as it becomes available.