WHO sees obesity among young people continuing to rise worldwide
The health organisation issues recommendations for treating children and adolescents.
The World Health Organization warns that obesity among children and young people continues to rise worldwide. Today, the organisation is presenting new guidelines for treating obesity in children and adolescents.
According to the WHO, an estimated 400 million children and young people aged 5 to 19 were overweight in 2024. Around 170 million of them had obesity. The proportion of children and young people with obesity has quadrupled since 1990, the health organisation says.
The new recommendations for children under ten emphasise diet, physical activity and combined behavioural support. Medicines, devices and surgery are not recommended as standard approaches for this age group, because the WHO is uncertain about their safety and long-term effects.
For adolescents aged 10 to 19, medicines from the GLP-1 group may be considered under the guideline when supervised lifestyle interventions have had insufficient effect. Bariatric surgery may also be considered in exceptional cases for adolescents with severe obesity, following an assessment of their physical and psychological maturity.
The WHO emphasises that obesity does not arise solely from individual choices. According to the organisation, the availability and price of food, the design of neighbourhoods, opportunities for physical activity and the organisation of healthcare all affect the risk of excess weight.
The guidelines are intended for governments and healthcare providers and do not constitute individual treatment advice. The WHO says care should take account of children's health and development, as well as the risk of stigmatisation and discrimination.
The figures are primarily global. They do not automatically indicate what the situation is like in the Netherlands, because countries have different measurement methods, healthcare systems and population compositions. Dutch policymakers will need to translate the recommendations into their own health and nutrition policies.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The WHO reports a sharp rise in obesity among children and young people.
- The new guidelines combine lifestyle support with possible medical treatment for certain adolescents.
- The WHO also identifies the food environment, physical activity and access to healthcare as factors.
Left
Arguments Prevention requires public measures such as healthier food in schools, rules on marketing to children and better access to healthcare. The problem should not be placed solely on families.
Values Equality, public health and protecting children from commercial pressure.
Consequences More regulation could reduce health inequalities, but may be experienced as limiting freedom of choice for families and businesses.
Centre
Arguments An effective approach combines healthy living environments with voluntary, scientifically supported care. No single measure is sufficient for all children.
Values Scientific evidence, proportionality and careful implementation.
Consequences An integrated approach could reach more children, but requires long-term investment and clear evaluation.
Right
Arguments Families should retain room to make their own choices, and care should remain focused on children who face the greatest medical risks. Government intervention in food and behaviour should remain limited.
Values Personal responsibility, freedom of choice and a restrained government.
Consequences Less regulation limits the administrative burden, but critics say it may underestimate the influence of price, marketing and the living environment.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The figures and recommendations are taken directly from the WHO and Reuters. The text distinguishes between global measurements, general guidelines and individual medical care.
- confirmed In 2024, around 400 million children and young people aged 5 to 19 were overweight, including 170 million with obesity. — These figures appear on the WHO page about the launch of the guidelines. source
- confirmed The WHO recommends diet, physical activity and behavioural support as the main approaches for children under ten. — Reuters summarises the new WHO guideline in these terms. source
- confirmed GLP-1 medicines may be considered for adolescents after supervised interventions have had insufficient effect. — Reuters attributes this recommendation to the new WHO guideline. source
Editor's note
The global figures and the main outlines of the recommendations come from the WHO and Reuters. The guidelines are general health recommendations and not advice for individual children.Sources
- Launch of WHO guidelines: integrated management of obesity in children and adolescents — World Health Organization
- WHO endorses lifestyle changes over GLP-1 drugs in child obesity fight — Reuters
- Obesity and overweight — World Health Organization
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „obesitas kinderen”
- de Volkskrant — „obesitas kinderen”
- RTL Nieuws — „obesitas kinderen”