"WHO Issues First Guidelines on Managing Childhood Obesity"
Obesogenic environment
surroundings that promote weight gain and discourage weight loss, at home, school, or in food markets
Double burden of malnutrition
coexistence of undernutrition and overnutrition/obesity in the same population
India's nutrition policy has focused on hunger and undernutrition through programmes such as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the National Food Security Act, 2013. Now the country faces a double burden of malnutrition: undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies continue while obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) rise sharply, especially among children. This differs from Western countries, where undernutrition fell before obesity rose. In India, both problems exist at the same time.
On 7 October, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued its first-ever guidelines for managing obesity in children aged 29 days to under 10 years. The guidelines cover diet, physical activity, sleep, behaviour-change support, digital health tools, medicines, and bariatric surgery. A related finding from UNICEF's Child Nutrition Global Report 2025 showed that obesity among school-aged children has overtaken underweight as the most common form of child malnutrition worldwide. About 188 million children globally, or one in ten, are affected.
The 2024 Mains question on poverty and malnutrition creating a 'vicious cycle' affecting human capital formation shows the same logic now extended to obesity. Poor early-life nutrition and an unhealthy food environment damage a child's long-term health and productivity. This happens whether through stunting or through obesity-linked NCDs. Breaking this cycle requires sustained multisectoral action, not a single scheme.
Childhood obesity is caused by an energy imbalance, meaning children consume more calories than they burn. This is driven by diets high in fat and sugar and low in physical activity. South Asian populations, including India, show a distinct 'normal BMI, high body fat, low muscle mass' phenotype. Fat collects in the abdomen even when weight appears normal. This raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease at lower body weights than seen elsewhere.
Policy responses target the 'obesogenic environment', defined as surroundings that promote weight gain and discourage weight loss. These surroundings exist at home, school, or in the wider food market. …
Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting human capital formation. What steps can be taken to break the cycle?
According to the UNICEF Child Nutrition Global Report 2025, which of the following statements is correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the World Health Organisation's (WHO) first guidelines for management of child obesity, issued in October 2026:
1.The guidelines apply to children aged 29 days to under 10 years.
2.The guidelines include recommendations on pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery.
3.The guidelines were issued jointly with UNICEF.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following policy measures:
1.Front-of-package labelling of food products
2.Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages
3.Restrictions on advertising of unhealthy food to children
Which of the above are considered part of addressing the 'obesogenic environment' in public health policy?
The 'thin-fat' phenotype observed in South Asian populations, including India, is characterised by which of the following?
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