WHO: More Than 170 Million Children and Adolescents Worldwide Have Obesity

“In 2024, 170 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 were living with obesity, including 70 million children aged 5–9 and 100 million adolescents aged 10–19,” the organization said in a press release.

The prevalence of obesity in this age group increased fourfold between 1990 and 2024, rising from 2% to 8%.

“Preventing and treating obesity is essential to protecting the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, as well as supporting their healthy growth, education, social well-being and quality of life,” the WHO stated.

The WHO has issued its first-ever guidelines on the treatment of obesity in children.

The organization strongly recommends physical activity, a healthy diet and behavioral interventions. However, it does not recommend pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery — weight-loss procedures that alter the stomach or digestive tract — or weight-loss devices for children aged 0–9.

The WHO noted that treatment alone cannot halt the rising prevalence of obesity and called on countries to adopt measures and strategies that make healthy food and physical activity more accessible and affordable. Such measures include regulatory and legislative action, taxation policies, and initiatives in education, urban planning, transportation and social protection.