Updated Clinical Guidelines on Pharmacotherapy for Obesity Management: CMAJ

In a significant update to obesity care, a new set of clinical practice guidelines has emphasized that pharmacotherapy should be used not just for weight loss but to improve overall health outcomes in individuals living with obesity. The updated recommendations were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The 2025 update includes six new and seven revised recommendations, building on the previous 2022 and 2020 editions. Departing from a sole focus on body mass index (BMI), the guideline integrates other important markers such as waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio, all adjusted for sex and ethnicity when appropriate, along with the presence of obesity-related complications.

Led by Dr. Sue D. Pedersen, MD, endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist in Calgary, the guidelines highlight a patient-centered, individualized approach to obesity treatment.

“Obesity pharmacotherapy is a safe and effective option to support long-term obesity care,” says Dr. Pedersen. “It is one of three pillars of treatment outlined in the full Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline, with other pillars being behavioural and psychological and surgical approaches. Obesity treatment should always be tailored to each person’s specific health needs, values, and preferences. Recommendations also support sustained use of obesity pharmacotherapy as part of a long-term strategy to maintain improvements in health and quality of life.”