Published : 07 Oct 2026, 03:26 PM
Updated : 07 Oct 2026, 03:26 PM
Children under 10 should not be given obesity drugs or GLP-1 weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, new global guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) say.
The guidance comes as some doctors prescribe the medications off-label and pharmaceutical companies test them on children as young as six, BBC reports.
The WHO urged that care for this age group should focus on healthy eating and physical activity rather than medicine, surgery, or weight-management devices, though it does not oppose ongoing clinical drug trials.
Limited evidence suggests digital technologies, including activity trackers and active gaming applications, may assist in encouraging physical movement, the UN agency added.
Estimates suggest 170 million children and adolescents worldwide are obese, including 70 million aged five to nine -- a group where obesity prevalence has quadrupled since 1990, from 2 percent to 8 percent, the British broadcaster said.
In 2024, 35 million children under five were overweight, the report said. Obesity raises the risk of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes, it added.
WHO Director of Nutrition and Food Safety Dr Luz De Rigi said the organisation does not recommend obesity medicines, bariatric surgery or weight-management devices for children under 10.
Such treatments may be considered for older children and adolescents when lifestyle measures fail and they are mentally and physically prepared, she added.
Laurence Grummer-Strawn, WHO's head of Nutrition and Food Safety Actions, said the organisation was cautious about starting GLP-1 drugs early because there is little evidence on using them temporarily before returning to diet-based treatment.
