Top Take Homes from Obesity Week 2025

I had the privilege of attending and presenting at the internal conference of The Obesity Society this week in Atlanta, GA.  It is an international gathering of experts in the latest research on obesity, from bench researchers, to clinical researchers, to clinicians, policy makers and leaders in the industry. They bring to the podium all the newest research that had not yet made it to the mainstream to advance the understanding of the treatment of obesity.  I learned a lot, and this is just the first in a series of blog on the latest and greatest. As a “sneak peek”, here are the top messages I know will be in the forefront as I go back to the clinic.

1. BMI is out!  They are officially done with BMI as the definition of obesity. It is now recognized as the state of having excess adiposity. It is staged into two main categories: preclinical obesity and clinical obesity. Clinical obesity is characterized by excess adipose accompanied by symptoms or end organ effects. Preclinical obesity is excess adiposity without any symptoms or signs of organ dysfunction.

2. The “solution” for the disease of obesity is not here yet! Pharmacotherapy for weight management still has significant limitations and problems!  These are the main ones that have already been recognized:

3. Many people do not lose as much weight as they want to or need to on these medications.

4. Results are highly variable!

5. Most people stop GLP 1 medications after less than a year of taking them. 

6. Many people stop and start the medications instead of taking them continuously.

7. The less consistent people are taking them, the less the effect they have. Stopping them may have unknown risk, such as a resurgence of the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.

8. The mechanism by which these work have many potential ancillary benefits, but also have many potential negative unintended consequences, including aversion, fatigue, depression, and disordered eating, for example

9. Weight recurrence is common, although not universal. Weight cycling is known to have adverse health consequences.

10. Lifestyle measures still have an important role- although a different one, in the weight loss journey. Previously, maintaining a calorie deficit was the goal in order to lose weight. With these medications, people naturally reduce the calories, sometimes excessively. This leads to the loss of healthy lean body mass and important subcutaneous adipose.  While taking these medications, the crux of lifestyle management is to focus on eating sufficient calories (typically 1200-1500 a day for women and 1500-1800 for men), consuming foods that are healthy from a cardiovascular standpoint, avoiding micronutrient deficiencies, and meeting exercise and fitness goals. 

11. Weight loss medications need to be started sooner. Because these medications result in only a partial loss of excess weight, they need to be started when the target weight is still within reach of expected outcomes. 

12. Individualized treatment is crucial for a successful outcome. The most common underlying reason people stopped these medications was when the treatment and outcome was deemed not successful by the person taking them. Whether it was because weight loss was too slow, or not enough, or the side effects bothersome, the causes varied, and so must the approach. Titrating them automatically does not work because it is too fast for some, titrating them slowly does not work because it is too slow for some. Frequent follow up is needed, as people are different and conditions evolve. Currently, our healthcare system has not yet figured out how to do this

Let us know what you want to know more about! At Rainier Medical, we are here to guide and support your individually tailored health journey. 

Take Back Your Individualized Care,

Valerie Hope-Slocum Sutherland, MD

Rainier Medical Office Hours November 10 -14, 2025

Monday 3 to 5:30

Wednesday 3 to 5:30

Thursday 3 to 5:30

Friday 7 to 5:30