On 7 October, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its first global guidelines for treating obesity in children and teenagers. The guidelines give advice to health workers and governments on how to help young people and their families with this health problem. For children under 10, WHO suggests healthy eating, regular exercise, good sleep, and support for changing habits. The guidelines say no to weight-loss medicines or surgery for young children, because there is not enough proof they are safe for this age group.

The main reason for these new guidelines is that more children and teenagers around the world now live with obesity. The WHO wants to help countries deal with this growing problem. The guidelines explain when doctors can use other treatments, such as weight-loss medicine or surgery, but only for teenagers and only after other methods have failed.

Because of these guidelines, health workers and governments now have clear advice for helping children and teenagers with obesity. The main goal is to support young people’s health by offering care that fits their needs, not just choosing one single treatment. Countries can also change these guidelines to match their own situations.