Childhood obesity has increased sharply over the past three decades, with the World Health Organization (WHO) now calling for a more structured approach to managing the condition among children and teenagers.
Data cited by the WHO show that obesity among people aged 5 to 19 rose from about 2% in 1990 to 8% in 2024. The increase means obesity in this age group has quadrupled within a generation. The figures form part of the background to WHO’s new global guidance on childhood and adolescent obesity, released to help countries improve how the condition is prevented and managed.
What the New WHO Guidance Means for Children
Rather than treating obesity as a problem that can be addressed through weight loss alone, the new guidance promotes longer-term interventions that include healthier diets, physical activity, and behavioural support.
The WHO estimates that around 400 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 were overweight in 2024, with about 170 million classified as living with obesity.
Treatment recommendations differ according to age and severity. For children below 10 years, WHO does not recommend obesity medicines or bariatric surgery as part of routine obesity management. For adolescents aged 10 to 19, healthcare professionals may consider approved obesity medicines in specific circumstances, particularly when structured lifestyle interventions have not produced the expected results.
The guidance also leaves room for bariatric surgery for some adolescents with severe obesity, but only under defined conditions and with appropriate specialist care.
Beyond clinical treatment, WHO highlights the need to consider the wider experience of children living with obesity. Stigma, bullying and mental wellbeing are among the issues that can affect their health and quality of life.
The organization says countries will need to strengthen health services so that children and adolescents can receive appropriate, evidence-based support.
The new guidance comes as childhood obesity becomes an increasingly important public health issue, placing greater pressure on families, healthcare providers and governments to address the factors contributing to unhealthy weight gain early in life.
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