In August 2025, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published a summary of the long-awaited Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, which were developed by Obesity Canada and the Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons. The guidelines themselves are composed of 19 chapters covering topics ranging from the genetics of obesity, commercial weight loss programs, to behavior change interventions.
As the overwhelming press coverage of this release would indicate, these guidelines are a very big deal. Why?
Reason #1: This is the first comprehensive update to the Canadian obesity guidelines since 2007. As Dr. Sue Pedersen says, the new guidelines reflect the tectonic shift in our knowledge and understanding of obesity that has occurred over the last thirteen years.
The guidelines were developed by more than 60 Canadian health professionals, researchers, and individuals living with obesity. Together, they reviewed well over 500,000 (!) published peer-reviewed articles to build consensus on a wide range of issues, ultimately identifying 80 key recommendations.
Reason #2: They incorporate the impact of weight bias and stigma—which the guidelines define as “the assumptions and judgments that are held about people living in larger bodies”—into every single chapter.
Weight stigma can be a major barrier to people living with obesity seeking and receiving appropriate medical treatment, so the importance of this inclusion cannot be overstated. By asking physicians and patients to consider the impact of weight bias, both society’s and their own, the guidelines begin to address a harmful reality that can affect people’s access to care and the quality of care they receive.
Reason #3: It bears repeating: these guidelines make clear that obesity is a chronic medical disease that should be medically managed just like other chronic medical conditions.
They also provide comprehensive, up-to-date information about the evidence-informed treatments available to manage obesity. It’s our sincere hope that the key messages provided for health policymakers in each section will guide the development of public health policies that create a more nuanced understanding of obesity and help improve access to necessary treatments.
As Dr. Shahebina Walji, an obesity expert in Calgary and one of the authors of the guidelines, puts it: “I am thrilled to see a comprehensive discussion about the science of obesity, including both the neurobiology of appetite control and energy balance dysregulation, as well as the cross-talk that occurs between the brain and the body. Really, I believe it is the deeper understanding of this science that will underpin the shift in attitudes towards people living with obesity, along with the shift in how we treat it.”
Reason #4: The guidelines will fundamentally change the conversation around obesity and healthcare, representing a real shift in how medical experts think about, talk about, and treat obesity.
A few ways the guidelines reflect this new thinking:
- They shift the conversation from weight to health, defining obesity as the presence of excess body fat that impairs health and well-being.
- They challenge the idea that simply “eating less and moving more” is the answer for long-term obesity management.
- They move away from using BMI as the sole diagnostic criterion for obesity and instead consider whether excess body fat is affecting a person’s health.
- They acknowledge that, for many people living with obesity, diet and exercise alone are not enough. Additional treatments—including prescription medications, psychological treatments, and/or bariatric surgery—may need to be considered.
Reason #5: Last but certainly not least, these guidelines are a big deal because, as Dr. Yoni Freedhoff puts it, they are the first to take a patient-centered approach to obesity.
They place significant emphasis on the patient journey and on improving the patient/provider relationship. They also encourage patient agency by recommending that providers ask permission before discussing a patient’s weight and that physicians and patients together develop personalized goals that go beyond just a number on the scale. (Read practical takeaways from the guidelines that can be applied to your journey to a healthier weight here.)
With the release of these guidelines, Canada has taken a significant leadership role in the management of obesity—one that will be watched by countries and public health officials around the world.
In the meantime, these guidelines will hopefully help make the conversations people living with obesity in Canada have with their family physicians ones that are based on science rather than blame and shame.
Media Coverage Of The Guidelines:
Diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to help many people reach a healthier weight. Medical treatments are needed to address the biological changes happening in our bodies that can drive weight regain. To find a physician near you who specializes in weight management, click here.
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This article was sponsored by Novo Nordisk Canada. All content is created independently by My Weight – What To Know with no influence from Novo Nordisk.
