A new initiative in Alberta is addressing issues surrounding obesity care and stigma in the healthcare sector. Primary Care Alberta (PCA) and Obesity Canada have joined forces to enhance obesity prevention and patient care in the primary health care system of Alberta. This partnership follows Alberta’s groundbreaking recognition of obesity as a chronic disease, with Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange designating March 4 as World Obesity Day in the province.
According to Lisa Schaffer, the executive director of Obesity Canada, this collaboration presents a valuable opportunity to integrate scientific knowledge and education into primary care practices effectively. Schaffer highlighted that over one million individuals in Alberta are grappling with obesity, emphasizing that untreated obesity is imposing significant financial burdens on the province, amounting to $3.4 billion, including both direct and indirect costs.
Schaffer stressed that obesity is a chronic condition characterized by the adverse impact of excess body fat on health and cautioned against solely relying on body mass index (BMI) as a measure of obesity. She underscored the need for a comprehensive approach considering genetic, environmental, and mental health factors in obesity treatment.
The collaborative efforts of PCA and Obesity Canada aim to bolster the implementation of chronic disease prevention strategies within primary care while enhancing support for obesity care in the healthcare system. Schaffer noted the absence of obesity education in medical schools and the lack of billing codes for doctors, emphasizing the need to equip healthcare professionals to address obesity as a chronic disease effectively.
The partnership will focus on key areas, including developing a provincial obesity care pathway, enhancing workforce education, providing clinical practice guidelines and resources, supporting healthy weight gain during pregnancy, and reducing stigma associated with obesity. Schaffer emphasized the complexity of obesity as a chronic disease, dispelling misconceptions related to willpower and personal choices in managing obesity.
Geoff Ball, the Alberta Health Services chair in obesity research, hailed the collaboration as a significant step forward in improving obesity care, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based interventions in assisting individuals with obesity. Ball highlighted the positive impact of effective obesity management on various health aspects, such as diabetes, cardiovascular health, cancer, orthopedic issues, and respiratory conditions.
The partnership between PCA and Obesity Canada is set to span three years, with the goal of enhancing the healthcare system’s capacity to deliver evidence-based and compassionate care to individuals with obesity.
