🔻The World Health Organization has released its first guidelines to address the sharp increase in obesity among children and adolescents.

In these guidelines, recommendations have been made to health systems and health workers to provide timely, evidence-based, people-centered care.

According to the organization, in 2024, 170 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 were living with obesity, 70 million of whom were 5 to 9 years old. The prevalence of obesity in this age group has quadrupled since 1990, increasing from 2% to 8%.

Per this guideline document, drug treatment (weight-loss medicines), surgery (such as stomach-reduction surgery), or weight-loss devices are not recommended for children under 9. For adolescents aged 10 to 19, treatment with approved medicines should be considered only when a multi-faceted lifestyle change program under supervision has not achieved the desired outcome. Bariatric surgery should be considered with strictness for adolescents with severe obesity.

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