The Alberta health agency for primary and preventative care is now partnering with Obesity Canada in order to tackle what many have identified as a growing epidemic of obesity
Primary Care Alberta announced Monday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the national organization. The two groups are now working on a plan to better co-ordinate reucate health care workers and reduce stigma
The health agency said that obesity is one of Alberta’s most significant chronic health issues, and that currently one in three Canadians live with the disease, which is connected to around 200 other conditions
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Obesity Canada estimated that the disease is costing Canadians around $27.6 billion each year
“This is something that we really need to care about today, and we need also to recognize that today’s treatment is prevention,” Lisa Schaffer, executive director with Obesity Canada, told reporters
Schaffer said experts are predicting that by 2030, half the world population will be obese. When it comes to Alberta, she said, while the province isn’t topping the charts, numbers are still high
She said the disease is complex and can require three different areas for care — pharmacotherapy, psychological support and surgical intervention when needed
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Kim Simmonds, CEO for Primary Care Alberta, told reporters the partnership with the charity would involve six areas of focus
Along with developing pathways for care, the two groups would work on educating the workforce, reducing stigma, aligning obesity management and prevention, and developing clinical practice guidelines. The groups will also work on helping with healthy weight gain during pregnancy
“We’re helping Albertans and primary care providers understand how to provide the best obesity care in the country,” Simmonds said
Simmonds said Primary Care Alberta will be relying on data to track its progress on the issue. She said data was a gap in the health care system before, and the health agency is working to figure out how to track quantitative data and also patient experiences
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The news follows an announcement made last March when Alberta became the first province in Canada to declare obesity as a chronic disease. Schaffer said this announcement encouraged Obesity Canada to reach out to work with Alberta
University of Alberta obesity professor Geoff Ball, who specializes in pediatric and family obesity research, agrees that the condition is on the rise
He said that while there isn’t recent concrete data in Canada, international studies suggest obesity has grown in the wake of the pandemic
Ball said that it’s also been a common sentiment from people working in health care that obesity is growing
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Recognizing obesity as a chronic disease was an important step, but Ball also thinks the partnership with Obesity Canada is another good move for Alberta health care. As a pediatric researcher, he hopes that the partnership will also take into account care specific to children and families
When it comes to prevention, Ball said the scope is bigger than just management
“There are lots of factors that are involved, and I think health care is just one piece of that pie,” Ball said
Monday’s announcement also comes as new drugs, like popular semaglutides Ozempic and Wegovy, are being prescribed to help treat obesity
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However, the two drugs are only covered by public programs in Alberta if prescribed to treat certain people, such as those with Type 2 diabetes
Schaffer said she’s hopeful that improving access to these drugs will be part of the conversation, but stressed that it’s just one part of treatment, along with psychological and surgical care
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