Every September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, an opportunity for clinicians to review updated guidelines to reinforce their evidence-based approaches to preventing, detecting, and managing obesity in their youngest patients.
Obesity in childhood poses significant long-term risks, making early intervention essential. Clinicians must recognize obesity not solely as an outcome of excess caloric intake but as a multifactorial condition influenced by genetics, environment, and behavioral factors. Considerations must be made regarding the child’s dietary and sleep patterns, physical activity level, and social factors. Any underlying medical associations that could lead to excess weight should also be investigated.
The following sets of guidelines are categorized into two groups, the first group focuses on children and adolescents, while the second group encompasses a wider age demographic. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and is intended to illustrate the range of guidelines available.
Childhood Obesity Guidelines
- Managing Obesity in Children
- Obesity Canada, April 2025
- Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity
- American Academy of Pediatrics, January 2023
- Multicomponent Behavioral Treatment of Obesity and Overweight in Children and Adolescents
- American Psychological Association, March 2018
- Pediatric Obesity – Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention
- Endocrine Society, January 2017
Additional Obesity Guidelines
- Obesity Management Algorithm
- Australian Diabetes Society, September 2025
- Pharmacotherapy for Obesity Management in Adults in Canada
- Obesity Canada, August 2025
- Management of Obesity in Adults with Heart Failure
- American College of Cardiology, June 2025
- Standards of Care in Overweight and Obesity – 2025
- American Diabetes Association, May 2025
- Nutritional Priorities to Support GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity
- The Obesity Society / Obesity Medicine Association / American College of Lifestyle Medicine
- Obesity Algorithm
- Obesity Medicine Association, January 2025
- Overweight and Obesity Management
- National Institute for Health and Excellence, January 2025
- Obesity Care in Patients with Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease
- United European Gastroenterology / European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, June 2023
- IFSO-WGO Obesity Guidelines
- World Gastroenterology Organisation, May 2023
- Adult Obesity – Pharmacological Interventions
- American Gastroenterological Association, November 2022
- Intragastric Balloons in the Management of Obesity
- American Gastroenterological Association, April 2021
- Obesity in Adults
- Obesity Canada, August 2020
- Management of Adult Overweight and Obesity (OBE)
- Veterans Health Administration / Department of Defense, July 2020
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