China has approved five GLP-1 receptor agonists since 2021 for weight management—liraglutide, beinaglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide, and mazdutide—marking a dramatic expansion in pharmaceutical obesity treatment options. This rapid regulatory approval represents one of the most aggressive national adoptions of the new generation of weight-loss medications globally. The therapeutic landscape shift reflects China's mounting obesity crisis, with prevalence continuing to climb despite policy interventions and lifestyle programs. However, this pharmaceutical focus reveals critical gaps in obesity management strategy. Current diagnostic criteria fail to capture the metabolic diversity within obesity, potentially leading to one-size-fits-all treatments for a heterogeneous condition. More concerning is the lack of evidence-based protocols for deploying these powerful medications, risking over-medicalization while neglecting the environmental and socioeconomic drivers of weight gain. The absence of quantifiable national obesity targets also hampers systematic progress tracking. While GLP-1 drugs represent genuine therapeutic advances, their widespread availability without robust clinical guidelines could paradoxically undermine comprehensive obesity prevention. The challenge now is integrating pharmaceutical tools within broader public health frameworks that address root causes rather than just metabolic symptoms.