The guidelines are published after WHO reported that in 2024, 170 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were living with obesity—70 million children aged 5–9 years and 100 million adolescents aged 10–19 years.
Beyond physical health, WHO highlights stigma, discrimination and bullying as common experiences for children and adolescents living with obesity.
Mental health and supportive environmentsWhile obesity management is a central focus, the guidelines also emphasize the importance of mental health care alongside obesity.
A life-course approach to obesity careWHO frames the new recommendations as part of a life-course approach to obesity care, alongside existing WHO recommendations for adults.
Source: WHO issues first global guidelines on child and adolescent obesity – PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first global guidelines on child and adolescent obesity, urging health systems and health workers to provide timely, evidence-based and person-centred care. The guidance responds to a sharp rise in obesity among people aged 5–19 years, alongside early harms that can affect physical and mental health, education, social well-being and quality of life.
The guidelines are published after WHO reported that in 2024, 170 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were living with obesity—70 million children aged 5–9 years and 100 million adolescents aged 10–19 years. WHO also notes that obesity prevalence in this age group has quadrupled since 1990, increasing from 2% to 8%.
Background: a growing public health and human rights concern
WHO describes obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease that can be managed with effective care. It warns that consequences can begin early in life, including higher risk of noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Beyond physical health, WHO highlights stigma, discrimination and bullying as common experiences for children and adolescents living with obesity. It links these harms to broader impacts on emotional well-being, social inclusion and day-to-day functioning.
What the guidelines recommend
WHO’s recommendations focus on structured support delivered through health services and by trained health workers. For children and adolescents with obesity, WHO strongly recommends structured dietary, physical activity and behaviour-changing interventions delivered individually or as part of a multimodal programme.
The guidelines also address the role of digital health. WHO conditionally recommends digital health interventions when they are used with parent or caregiver supervision.
WHO advises against pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery and weight-loss devices for children aged 0–9 years. For adolescents aged 10–19 years, it says treatment with approved medicines may be considered only when a supervised multimodal lifestyle programme has not achieved desired results. Bariatric surgery may be considered under strict conditions for adolescents with severe obesity.
In addition, WHO stresses that obesity care should aim to improve health, functioning and well-being rather than focusing only on weight loss. It calls for person-centred, age-appropriate care with long-term follow-up and continuity.
Mental health and supportive environments
While obesity management is a central focus, the guidelines also emphasize the importance of mental health care alongside obesity. WHO notes that anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and emotional dysregulation can contribute to unhealthy eating behaviours, physical inactivity and social withdrawal.
WHO also underscores that stigma and bullying can harm emotional well-being, and it recommends that health workers address both obesity and mental health conditions early and together. The approach should use inclusive, developmentally appropriate and family-engaged strategies.
Policy and systems measures beyond clinical treatment
WHO states that treatment alone cannot reverse the rise in obesity. The guidelines therefore support broader actions to make healthy diets and physical activity more accessible and affordable.
WHO points to regulatory and fiscal measures and encourages cross-sector work involving education, urban planning, transport and social protection, aligning obesity prevention and management with wider development goals.
A life-course approach to obesity care
WHO frames the new recommendations as part of a life-course approach to obesity care, alongside existing WHO recommendations for adults. The guidance is positioned as part of WHO’s broader response to the global obesity epidemic, including the WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity.
In remarks included with the announcement, Dr Luz María De Regil, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO, said the foundation of obesity care for children and adolescents is access to comprehensive support enabling healthy eating, physical activity and sustainable behaviour change, and that priorities should include early access to quality care and supportive environments.
Why the guidance is relevant for partners across the health and social sectors
For NGOs, civil society organizations and development practitioners, the guidelines provide practical clinical and systems direction that can inform programming for prevention, early identification and longer-term support. WHO’s emphasis on family engagement, stigma reduction, mental health integration and continuity of care aligns with community-based and people-centred models of health service strengthening.
Key Details
Initiative or programme: WHO first global guidelines on child and adolescent obesity
WHO first global guidelines on child and adolescent obesity Lead organization: World Health Organization (WHO)
World Health Organization (WHO) Partners: Not specified in the supplied source
Not specified in the supplied source Funding amount: Not specified in the supplied source
Not specified in the supplied source Geographic focus: Global
Global Target groups: Children and adolescents aged 5–19 years living with obesity (with recommendations by age bands including 0–9 years and 10–19 years)
Children and adolescents aged 5–19 years living with obesity (with recommendations by age bands including 0–9 years and 10–19 years) Duration or timeline: Not specified in the supplied source (published 8 Oct 2026 )
Not specified in the supplied source (published ) Expected reach or outcomes: Not specified in the supplied source (guidelines aim to improve care delivery across health systems, including dietary, physical activity and behaviour-change interventions, plus mental health integration and long-term follow-up)
Why This Matters
WHO’s first global guidelines for child and adolescent obesity offer a clear benchmark for how health systems can deliver age-appropriate, person-centred and evidence-based care. For NGOs and development professionals, the recommendations underline that effective obesity support depends not only on clinical interventions but also on family engagement, mental health integration and continuity of follow-up.
The guidance can help organizations align education, health promotion and social support activities with WHO’s approach, particularly where stigmatizing experiences and barriers to healthy food and physical activity affect children and adolescents. It also signals donor and policy attention to obesity as part of noncommunicable disease prevention and life-course health planning, not solely as an individual weight-management issue.
Source: WHO issues first global guidelines on child and adolescent obesity – PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization
