About Obesity
Obesity is a chronic complex disease that needs to be addressed
Canadians living with obesity face widespread weight bias and weight-based discrimination as the disease continues to be perceived as self-inflicted. In reality, obesity is influenced by genetics, the environment, and the societal systems we live in.
Individuals living with obesity have significantly higher rates of doctor visits, specialist consultations, emergency room visits, hospital stays, and prescription drug use compared to those without obesity, further straining healthcare system resources.
Despite leading medical associations including the Canadian Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all recognizing obesity as a chronic disease, only one Canadian province (Alberta) officially recognizes it as such.
Evidence-based treatment options like intensive behavioral therapy, surgery, and prescription medications are available but remain underutilized or inaccessible to all who need them.
Canada’s current healthcare system lacks the interdisciplinary support needed for effective obesity management, despite clear benefits outlined in treatment guidelines.
The cost of inaction in treating obesity in Canada has reached $27.6 billion – about 20 per cent higher than previously estimated.
Over the past decade, obesity-related deaths have prematurely taken an estimated 45,200 individuals from the workforce, resulting in nearly $2 billion potential lost wages.
There is significant inequality in access to bariatric surgery in Canada.
It ranges from one in 96 adults in Quebec with obesity to one in 1,073 adults in Nova Scotia.
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There are 120 surgeons in 33 centres where bariatric surgery is performed.
Nova Scotia has the longest wait time between referral and consultation.
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3. Janssen I. The Public Health Burden of Obesity in Canada. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2013;37(2):90-96.
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Retrieved September 3, 2024 from https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/5742-overview-weight-and-height-measurements-world-obesity-day