Changing Lifestyle Instead of Medications to Combat Childhood Obesity.. "WHO" Advises

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The World Health Organization recommended today, Wednesday, to follow a diet and exercise and provide guidance instead of relying on common weight loss medications, in the first global guidelines issued by the organization to address the rising rates of obesity among young children.

Data from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicates that obesity rates have surpassed underweight to become the most common form of malnutrition among school-aged children and young children worldwide.

The World Health Organization stated that it may be considered to resort to weight loss medications for those aged 10 to 19 years who suffer from obesity, but only after the failure of supervised interventions.

It added that surgical treatment for obesity may be considered for physically and mentally mature young people who suffer from severe obesity after six months of treatment without achieving successful results.

For children under the age of ten, the World Health Organization recommended a combined approach of diet, physical activity, and behavioral support instead of obesity medications, surgery, or devices due to concerns about their long-term safety and effectiveness.

Luz Maria de Regil, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, stated that the current available evidence is insufficient to issue a definitive opinion on drugs and medications based on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), but researchers are monitoring efficacy and safety trials and may review this assessment as more data becomes available.

The World Health Organization stated that healthy diets and physical activity should be accessible and affordable, as treatment alone cannot halt the rising rates of obesity.

The organization reported that the number of individuals aged five to 19 years who are overweight in 2024 is approximately 400 million, of which 170 million are suffering from obesity. The prevalence rate of obesity in this age group has increased fourfold since 1990.