The WHO warns against anti-obesity treatments in children under 10

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its first guidelines addressing childhood obesity, warning against the use of medications and surgeries for children under the age of 10 and recommending alternative procedures instead. The announcement comes as the global prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 has quadrupled since 1990, rising from 2 percent to 8 percent.

This dramatic global increase in youth obesity rates prompted the UN health agency to develop these initial formal guidelines. While advising against invasive interventions and pharmaceuticals for very young children, the WHO emphasizes other approaches to combat the condition.