WHO releases first global guidelines on child obesity after cases quadrupled since 1990

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first global guidelines on child and adolescent obesity, UN News reported on 7 October 2026. The agency reported that child and adolescent obesity has quadrupled since 1990, rising from two per cent to around eight per cent of children in the five-to-19 age group. In 2024, around 170 million children and adolescents were living with obesity, including 70 million children aged five to nine and some 100 million adolescents up to 19, WHO said.

The agency said obesity increases the risk of noncommunicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It also said children and adolescents with obesity are more likely to experience stigma, discrimination and bullying, which it said can negatively affect mental health.

In the guidelines, WHO strongly recommends dietary changes, physical activity and other behaviour-changing interventions. It does not recommend medicines, bariatric surgery — surgery that changes the digestive system to induce weight loss — or weight-loss devices for children aged 0-9 years. For adolescents aged 10-19, WHO said treatment with approved medicines, such as GLP-1 therapies, should only be considered when a supervised lifestyle programme has failed to make improvements. It said bariatric surgery may be considered under strict conditions for those with severe obesity.

"The foundation of obesity care for children and adolescents is not medicine or surgery, but access to comprehensive support that enables healthy eating, physical activity and sustainable behaviour change," said Dr. Luz María De Regil, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO. The recommendations emphasise addressing mental health alongside obesity, because WHO states it is both a cause and a consequence of the disease. The agency said anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and emotional dysregulation can contribute to unhealthy eating behaviours, physical inactivity and social withdrawal.

WHO acknowledged that treatment cannot reverse the rise in obesity by itself and said systemic changes are needed. 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. "Our priority must be to ensure that every child and adolescent can access quality care and supportive environments from an early age, helping them achieve and maintain a healthy weight and laying the foundation for lifelong health and well-being," Dr. De Regil said.