For 15 years, Obesity Canada (OC) has led efforts to reduce weight bias and promote evidence-based obesity care in this country. While OC has driven and supported a lot of progress in the obesity care landscape during that time frame as we built a robust community of healthcare professionals, researchers, policy makers and people living with obesity, laying a foundation for a national care framework was always the long game.
In 2021, we think it’s time for Canada to develop and fund a national obesity care framework on par with strategies for other major chronic diseases. Here’s why:
- Science tells us obesity is a chronic disease. The World Health Organization, the Canadian and American Medical Associations, and several other leading health- and research-based organizations agree (so do we). People living with chronic diseases deserve support, full stop.
- We now have the most thoroughly researched clinical practice guidelines for treating obesity in adults, and OC and partners will deliver pediatric guidelines in 2022.
- Our research and consensus building has resulted in a deeper understanding of obesity prevention and care gaps, research needs, and the accessibility of current obesity treatments.
More coming soon!
P.S. Are you a healthcare professional and want to know how you can help build the foundation for a National Obesity Strategy? Join our online community OC Connect Pro.
Are you someone affected by obesity who wants to be a part of this movement? Join us online in OC Connect!
More articles on why we need a National Strategy for obesity:
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