'The WHO’s newly released guidelines to combat child and adolescent obesity — which has quadrupled since 1990, from 2% to 8% — emphasize diet, exercise, and other behavior-changing interventions over GLP-1 drugs, which it says should only be considered for adolescents ages 10–19 after other interventions have failed.' (thanks to Global Health Now)_
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168536
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Child and adolescent obesity has quadrupled since 1990, rising from two per cent to around eight per cent of youngsters in the five-to-19 age group, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
In 2024, there were around 170 million children and adolescents living with obesity – including 70 million children aged five to nine and some 100 million adolescents up to 19.
The UN health agency defines obesity as a “chronic, relapsing disease” triggered by excessive fat deposits which can nonetheless be managed through effective care...
Obesity increases the risk of noncommunicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
It also increases their likelihood of experiencing stigma, discrimination and bullying, which can strongly negatively affect mental health.
In its new set of guidelines, WHO strongly recommends dietary changes, physical activity and other behaviour-changing interventions.
Weight loss drugs: a last resort
It does not recommend pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery (surgery that changes the digestive system to induce weight loss) or weight-loss devices for children aged 0-9 years...
The agency called for policies and measures that make healthy diets and physical activity more accessible and affordable, including regulatory and fiscal measures and action across education, urban planning, transport and social protection...
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COMMENT (NPW): There is limited awareness about the links between obesity and health consequences such as noncommunicable diseases. I look forward to hear what the situation is in your country. I did a quick search on Google and found a recent paper from Benin that said 'Participants demonstrated limited awareness of obesity causes and related health risks. Cultural norms linking larger body sizes—especially for women—to health, fertility, respect, and social status shaped preferences and self-perceptions. Many overweight participants underestimated their body size. Men frequently preferred overweight female figures, while women favored normal to overweight male figures.'
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org