Doctors begin prescribing weight-loss injections to children as young as 8. WHO opposes

The WHO has issued its first guidelines for treating childhood obesity, recommending against GLP-1 drugs and surgery for children under 10, despite rising case numbers and surging demand for new medications. The organization insists on lifestyle changes, diet, and physical activity, allowing medication only for adolescents when other methods fail. In the US, such injections are already being prescribed to children from age 8.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has for the first time issued guidelines for treating childhood obesity, publishing two documents on Wednesday, October 7. The WHO does not recommend prescribing GLP-1 drugs or performing bariatric surgery on children under 10 due to a lack of data on safety and long-term efficacy. For adolescents aged 10–19, medication is only permitted when lifestyle changes are ineffective. The WHO emphasizes that obesity is a chronic relapsing disease, and its treatment should include dietary correction, physical activity, and behavioral therapy with parental involvement. The organization notes that the proportion of childhood obesity has risen from 2% in 1990 to 8% in 2024, with 70 million children aged 5–9 and 100 million adolescents worldwide suffering from obesity. In the US, contrary to the WHO's position, GLP-1 drugs are already being prescribed to children from age 8, and the proportion of children aged 8–11 receiving them has increased 310-fold from 2019 to 2026. In Israel, Wegovy is approved for adolescents over 12 with a high BMI and weight over 60 kg, and in early 2026 the drug was included in the health basket. Professor Dani Nemeth from Meir Medical Center notes that in real life, the drugs' effectiveness is lower than in trials, and after stopping treatment, patients often return to their previous weight.