WHO Issues First Global Guidelines on Childhood and Adolescent Obesity

Overview

• The WHO published the guidance on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, and for the first time set age‑specific recommendations for people aged 0–19.
• For children 0–9 the guidance prioritizes structured lifestyle and behavioral programs that combine healthy eating, physical activity and caregiver‑supervised digital tools.
• For adolescents 10–19 the WHO says approved weight‑loss medicines, including GLP‑1 class drugs, and bariatric surgery may be considered only after a supervised multimodal lifestyle program fails to produce results.
• The agency did not endorse specific drug brands or treatment durations and flagged major uncertainties about long‑term safety, dosing and how to maintain weight loss in young people.
• WHO urged broad policy action to prevent new cases and reduce stigma by improving access to healthy foods, activity‑friendly environments, marketing limits and equitable, non‑discriminatory care.