The State of Obesity Care in Canada Report with Ian Patton & Jennifer Brown
Scale Up Your Practice by Obesity CanadaShow Notes
What happens when healthcare professionals know what evidence-informed obesity care should look like, but the system makes that care difficult to deliver? Ian Patton and Jennifer Brown join us on the podcast to unpack findings from The State of Obesity Care in Canada report and connect them to what clinicians and patients experience every day: limited referral pathways, uneven treatment coverage, gaps in psychological support, inconsistent access to metabolic bariatric surgery and the effects of weight bias at the system level.
In this episode Why access to primary care does not necessarily mean access to evidence-informed obesity care How gaps in medication coverage and psychological support affect both patients and clinical teams Why access to metabolic bariatric surgery can look very different across Canada How weight bias can shape the way obesity care is organized, funded and prioritized What system barriers can look like in everyday primary care practice Pasted markdown Practical ways healthcare professionals can use the report to support change within their own teams, organizations and communities How clinicians can add their real-world experience to broader advocacy for better obesity care
Additional resources Read The State of Obesity Care in Canada report: https://utm.guru/utelC Send a letter to your elected officials asking them to support policies that help close the gaps in evidence-informed obesity care across Canada: https://utm.guru/utelC
Learning objectives Analyze the core system gaps identified in the State of Obesity Care in Canada report and how structural barriers—such as uneven coverage, long wait times, and fragmented referral pathways—directly impact daily clinical practice. Evaluate how systemic weight bias and the lack of public funding for two of the three core pillars of treatment (pharmacotherapy and psychological interventions) undermine chronic disease management and burden both patients and healthcare teams. Apply clinician advocacy tools and evidence-based frameworks to partner with patients, challenge administrative hurdles, and drive provincial and federal systems-level change.
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Disclosures This episode script was developed using NotebookLM to synthesize complex source materials into a structured educational format. The tool was used to analyze the Canadian Obesity Education Competencies (COECs), the Obesity Canada Strategic Plan, and guest-specific research. Specific prompts were utilized to extract relevant learning objectives, map them to CanMEDS roles, and generate competency-based interview questions. While NotebookLM assisted in drafting the narrative arc and educational framework, all content has been reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by the podcast hosts and Obesity Canada's clinical experts. This ensures the script aligns with current Clinical Practice Guidelines and authentically represents the lived experience perspective.
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