Canada’s Updated Obesity Treatment Guidelines: What Patients Need to Know
Obesity treatment in Canada has entered a new era. The latest update to the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, released in August 2025, reflects a major shift in how healthcare providers approach this chronic, complex condition. For patients, the changes mean more treatment options, more personalized care, and a stronger focus on health, not just weight loss.
Anti-obesity medications are just one part of the equation for individualized weight management. Sustainable weight loss requires an individualized approach that considers your personal values, context, constraints, strengths, medical history, and previous experiences. At Vital Bariatrics, we have renowned experts in medical weight management who will take the time to get to know you and adapt best practices to your needs.
Why this Update Matters
For years, conversations about obesity treatment were too often limited to diet, exercise, and a single measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI). The updated guidelines take a broader, more nuanced view. They recognize that obesity is not a matter of willpower but a condition influenced by biology, environment, mental health, and more.
These changes provide healthcare professionals with new evidence-based tools to help patients manage their health more effectively. Vital Bariatrics believes this is a critical step toward ensuring people living with obesity receive the same level of care and respect given to other chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
Beyond BMI: A Whole-Person View
One of the most important changes is the move away from using BMI as the only measure for treatment decisions. The new guidelines recommend looking at the bigger picture, including:
Waist circumference and body composition
Existing health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes
The patient’s values, preferences, and health goals
This approach makes treatment decisions more meaningful and better tailored to each person’s needs.
More Medications, More Options
The guidelines also expand the list of approved obesity medications in Canada from four to six, adding tirzepatide and setmelanotide to the list. These medications work in different ways and allow for more personalized treatment planning.
Healthcare providers can now choose from a broader range of therapies, considering both a patient’s medical profile and their personal comfort with different treatment options. Importantly, the guidelines include clear recommendations for patients who also have related conditions such as sleep apnea, liver disease, osteoarthritis, or heart failure.
These newer anti-obesity medications have been game changers for many people in managing obesity and related conditions. However, many people struggle with taking these medications at effective dosages and for effective durations because of the potential side effects.
An individualized dosing plan and personalized education and coaching about how to prevent and manage side effects can suddenly make these medications feasible when perhaps patients previously thought they were impossible to live with.
Our medical team of Nicki , Nurse Practitioner, Autumn, Registered Dietician, and Dr. Gill have supported hundreds of patients with individualized care plans that work in their day to day lives.
A Focus on Health Outcomes, Not the Scale
The updated recommendations are clear: the goal of obesity treatment is to improve health, not to achieve a specific number on the scale. For some, that might mean better mobility. For others, it could be more energy, improved mental health, or better control of other medical conditions.
Medications are not “quick fixes.” Instead, they are one tool among many that can be combined with lifestyle changes, psychological support, and, when appropriate, surgical intervention.
The Ongoing Challenge of Access
Despite the progress in treatment options, access remains a serious challenge. Currently, fewer than one in five private insurance plans in Canada cover obesity medications, and public plans do not cover them at all. This gap leaves many without the care they need, despite clear medical evidence supporting these treatments.
Advocacy efforts are ongoing to ensure obesity is treated as the chronic disease it is, with equitable access to care for all Canadians.
What This Means for Patients
For people living with obesity, these guideline updates signal a more respectful, evidence-based approach to care. At Vital Bariatrics, we welcome these changes and remain committed to:
Offering treatment plans that are individualized
Staying at the forefront of medical advancements in obesity care
Supporting patients through every stage of their health journey
If you’ve been considering medication as part of your treatment, or if you simply want to understand your options, now is the time to have that conversation with a qualified healthcare professional.
Vital Bariatrics provides comprehensive care for people living with obesity, offering evidence-based treatment options tailored to your unique needs.
To learn more about how these new guidelines might affect your care, please contact our team today.