Italy releases first national guideline for adolescent obesity treatment

The Italian Institute of Health (ISS) has published the country's first national guideline for the therapy of overweight and obesity that does not respond to behavioural treatment in adolescents aged 12‑18. The document recognises obesity as a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease and calls for a multidisciplinary, personalised approach that may include dietary and lifestyle advice, physical activity, pharmacological therapy and, where appropriate, surgical options.

Endocrinologist Marco Cappa, who coordinated the working group, said: “The real novelty is the definitive recognition of obesity as a chronic progressive and relapsing complex disease that requires personalized multidisciplinary pathways.” The guideline highlights the multifactorial origins of adolescent obesity – genetics, environment, metabolism, psychological and social factors – and warns of severe complications such as type‑2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidaemia, joint problems, liver steatosis, increased cancer risk, as well as mental‑health impacts.

International estimates place the global cost of obesity at about $4 trillion, roughly 3 % of world GDP. Data from the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) 2022‑2024 show hundreds of thousands of children already affected across Europe, underscoring the urgency of the new Italian policy. At the same time, Rome has become the first European capital to ban ultra‑processed foods from school canteens, reflecting a broader shift toward preventive nutrition.