The World Health Organization (WHO) has published new guidelines for the integrated management of obesity in children and adolescents, outlining a people-centred approach to care through primary healthcare.
The guidelines come at a time when childhood and adolescent obesity continues to rise globally. Between 1990 and 2022, obesity prevalence among 5–19-year-olds increased from 1.7% to 6.9% among girls and from 2.1% to 9.3% among boys.
The recommendations emphasise structured support combining healthy eating, physical activity and behaviour-change interventions, tailored to each young person and taking into account mental wellbeing, quality of life and family needs. WHO also highlights the importance of respectful communication to help reduce stigma.
The guidelines take a cautious approach to medical treatment. Pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery are not recommended for children under 10. For adolescents, these approaches may be considered in specific circumstances, alongside structured lifestyle interventions and within specialist multidisciplinary care.
WHO also stresses that treatment alone cannot reverse the global obesity epidemic, highlighting the importance of broader action to create healthier food and physical activity environments.
The new guidelines provide an important resource for healthcare professionals, policymakers and others working in childhood and adolescent nutrition and health.
Read the WHO guidelines
Source: https://iuns.org/2026/10/new-who-guidel ... olescents/
