The World Health Organization has issued its first guidelines addressing obesity among children and adolescents, including recommendations on when medications and bariatric surgery should be considered.
WHO does not recommend pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery or weight-loss devices for children ages 0 to 9, according to an Oct. 7 news release. For adolescents ages 10 to 19, approved medicines may be considered only when a supervised multimodal lifestyle program has not achieved the desired results. Bariatric surgery may be considered under strict conditions for adolescents with severe obesity.
The organization strongly recommends structured dietary, physical activity and behavior-changing interventions delivered individually or as part of a multimodal program. Digital health interventions are conditionally recommended with parent or caregiver supervision.
The guidance comes as GLP-1 use among U.S. children is climbing quickly. Use among children ages 8 to 11 with obesity rose from 0.03% in 2019 to 9.3% in 2026. A JAMA Pediatrics research letter found that among patients ages 13 to 25 treated for obesity, exclusive GLP-1 use rose from 88.2% to 96.1% between 2022 and early 2026, while completion of bariatric surgery fell from 11.6% to 3.7%.
In September, Novo Nordisk said two out of every five young children who took Wegovy in a clinical trial lost enough weight to no longer be classified as having obesity. It was the first trial to test the drug in children younger than 12.
