WHO issues first global guidelines on childhood and adolescent obesity

The World Health Organization has released its inaugural set of guidelines aimed at tackling the rapid increase in obesity among children and adolescents. The agency notes that in 2024, about 170 million individuals aged 5‑19 were living with obesity, including roughly 70 million children.

The new recommendations focus on prevention, early detection, and comprehensive management strategies, urging coordinated action across health systems, schools, families, and communities to curb the trend.

The announcement arrives alongside other industry developments, such as the Department of Justice’s heightened scrutiny of pharmaceutical practices and the shutdown of Caribou Biosciences after it could not secure funding for a CAR‑T clinical trial, underscoring broader challenges facing the sector.