There are treatments for obesity, but they aren’t readily available to most people and Obesity Canada suggests that if there was more recognition that it’s a chronic, progressive disease, there could be more access to treatments, which would then cost the health care system less.

Dr. Ian Patton with Obesity Canada explains that obesity can lead to many other challenges like heart disease, many cancers and type 2 diabetes, so it becomes a higher cost for the health care system. That doesn’t include any costs to the individual from weight-based discrimination and emotional well-being. Dr. Patton explains there are three pillars to treatment which are evidence-based ways of treating the condition, but first you need health care professionals who recognize obesity as the chronic disease it is.

The pillars are psychological intervention, bariatric surgery, and medical treatments. However, Patton notes that access to bariatric surgery can be years long. The Canadian and American Medical Associations and the World Health Organization recognize obesity as a chronic disease which requires treatment and prevention similar to other chronic diseases, but no province or territory officially recognizes it in that way.

Dr. Patton says we need to change how we approach obesity management, taking action like one would other chronic diseases, and having multidisciplinary support. He suggests doing so, would ease the burden on the health care system and increase wellness, emotionally and physically, for many people.