→ Something people say
"Something people say: "Those new treatments crossed out: aren't changed to: might be for people like me."
Is medical weight loss for me? A straight answer, and the reason for it.
Maybe. Medical weight loss here is for adults in Ontario who want their weight and health looked at properly. Who qualifies for weight loss medication comes down to a guide line, your health and a real conversation, and your Nurse Practitioner makes the final decision with you. Below: the guide, who it isn't for, and what happens either way.
The real answer
Maybe. You'll get a straight answer, and the reason for it.
Prescription treatment is generally considered for adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related health condition. Your clinician makes the final decision. Sometimes the right first step is something else, and if it is, you'll hear why.
- Whether you're a candidate, and whyyour NP
- Benefits and side effects, firstyour NP
- Whether to start anythingyou decide
The guide is a BMI of 30, or 27 with a weight-related condition.
Canada's clinical practice guideline for adults living with obesity says medication should be offered to adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with weight-related health problems, alongside changes to food, activity and daily habits. Health Canada's decisions on weight management medication use the same structure. Weight-related conditions that count include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep apnea.
Those decisions describe a BMI of 30 or more as obesity, and 27 or more as overweight.
Not sure of your number? Work it out in metric or imperial with the BMI calculator.
BMI is where the conversation starts, not where it ends.
BMI is quick, and it's rough. The guideline itself says BMI doesn't show body composition or where weight sits, and doesn't tell you whether weight is affecting your health. It also says BMI should be read with cut-offs suited to a person's ethnic background. So your Nurse Practitioner looks at more than one number:
- Your health history, including any weight-related conditions
- The medications you take now, since some can add weight
- What you've already tried, and what happened
- Your lab results
- Your goals, in your own words
The guideline asks for treatment that fits each person's values, preferences and goals. Not every goal is a number.
It's for adults in Ontario who want a proper answer about their weight.
People come for all kinds of reasons:
- Diets that worked for a while, then didn't
- A blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol result that changed the conversation
- Weight that crept up with a new medication, a desk job or years of short sleep
- Knees or a back that make moving harder than it used to be
- Curiosity about the newer prescription treatments, and wanting a straight answer before anything else
It's open to all adults, women and men. You don't need a referral.
If your weight is tangled up with something else, these may help: PCOS and weight and prediabetes and weight.
It isn't for anyone under 18, pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy, or outside Ontario at the visit.
- Anyone under 18.
- Anyone pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy. Canada's guideline doesn't recommend weight management medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or while trying to conceive.
- Anyone outside Ontario at the time of their visits. Every visit happens while you're in Ontario.
Some health conditions and medications also rule treatment out or call for extra care. Your Nurse Practitioner goes through these with you during the assessment, so you don't have to work them out alone.
Your Nurse Practitioner decides with you, and tells you why.
In Ontario, Nurse Practitioners are authorized to diagnose, order and interpret tests, and prescribe medication. Yours goes through your answers, your labs and your goals, then tells you plainly whether prescription treatment makes sense, and why or why not. Whether to start anything is still your decision.
If the answer is no, you won't leave with nothing. What happens if it's not a fit.
Questions, answered plainly.
Who qualifies for weight loss medication?
Generally, adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related health condition. That's the guide in Canada's clinical practice guideline and in Health Canada's decisions. Your clinician makes the final decision after your assessment and labs.
What if my BMI is under 30?
It can still be worth an assessment. From 27, a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or sleep apnea counts, and the guideline says BMI cut-offs can differ by ethnic background. Your Nurse Practitioner looks at the whole picture.
Is medical weight loss for me if I don't want medication?
It can be. Prescription treatment is offered only if your clinician decides it's appropriate and safe for you, and only if you want it. The assessment, lab work, a plan in writing and check-ins help either way.
Will I definitely get a prescription?
No. Your Nurse Practitioner decides whether prescription treatment is appropriate, and tells you the reason either way.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can get started without one.
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