An editorial notes this level of risk might look modest, but the effect at population level could be substantial; if roughly 13% of UK population take an antidepressant, many thousands of people will gain weight each year because of their treatment. It advises clinicians to discuss the possibility of weight gain with patients who need antidepressants, provide concomitant lifestyle advice on diet and exercise to minimise the risk, and monitor patients’ weight and metabolic variables for the duration of treatment. It adds that the next step is to quantify the risk of weight gain associated with specific antidepressants. Furthermore, it may be possible in the not too distant future to identify a genetic predisposition and recognise those at higher risk before treatment is started so that antidepressant least likely to cause weight gain can be selected.