New Delhi . The World Health Organization has issued new guidelines regarding overweight and obesity in children and adolescents and advised caution regarding the use of weight loss medicines and surgery. According to the organization, medications and surgery are not typical solutions for overweight children. Instead, priority should be given to measures like balanced diet and regular physical activity.
WHO has clarified that the use of weight loss medicines is not recommended for children aged 0 to 9 years. Similarly, surgery related to the stomach or digestive system and the use of weight loss devices are also not recommended for children in this age group. The guidelines emphasize on giving priority to other measures for the weight related problem of children.
In the case of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, the organization has not completely rejected weight loss drugs. According to WHO, these medications may only be considered if other supervised measures do not prove effective. That is, medicines should not be used as a starting option in adolescents.
For adolescents struggling with severe obesity, surgery may also be considered only under strict conditions. Thus, WHO guidelines for weight management in children and adolescents emphasize the need for age- and condition-appropriate caution.
According to statistics, in the year 2024, around 7 crore children aged five to nine years across the world were affected by obesity. During the same period, approximately 10 crore adolescents aged 10 to 19 years were also obese. The obesity rate among people aged 5 to 19 years was 2 percent in 1990, which is expected to increase to 8 percent in 2024.
Low-calorie diets for weight loss have also become popular in the last few years. In this type of diet, a person reduces the amount of energy he gets from food. Diets like intermittent fasting, alternate day fasting and Fast 800 are similar methods, in which calorie intake is significantly reduced to lose weight rapidly.
The basic principle of a calorie-reduction diet is that the body uses stored fat when it consumes fewer calories than it expends. Research has revealed that such a diet reduces weight and waist circumference. Improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol control have also been seen, which may reduce the risk of heart disease.
However, most of the available studies are of short duration only 2 to 12 weeks. Once you've lost weight, maintaining it long-term can be more challenging. In many people, after the diet ends, some or more of the lost weight increases again. In such a situation, regarding obesity in children and adolescents, WHO has advised to give priority to balanced diet and physical activities instead of medicines and surgery.