New global guidelines warn against obesity drugs for children under 10 — SkimNews
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- WHO recommends against using obesity medications or bariatric surgery in children under 10, calling it a strong recommendation based on current evidence gaps.
- Dr Luz De Rigil stated that for children under 10, weight-management devices, medicines, or surgery are not advised, though such treatments may be considered for older adolescents when lifestyle changes fail.
- Laurence Grummer-Strawn expressed concern about starting young children on GLP-1 drugs without evidence that treatment can be safely discontinued later in life.
- Global obesity rates show 170 million children and adolescents are obese, including 70 million aged 5–9, with prevalence in this group quadrupling since 1990.
- Children under five saw 35 million classified as overweight in 2024, highlighting early-onset trends in weight-related health risks.
- Digital tools like activity trackers and active video games may support healthy habits in children, WHO notes, though evidence remains limited.
Why it matters: With childhood obesity rates rising sharply—especially among under-tens—WHO’s stance blocks a medicalized path forward absent long-term safety data. This shifts focus to preventive, non-pharmaceutical strategies, affecting drug developers testing GLP-1s in young populations and clinicians considering off-label prescriptions.
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