The Science of Obesity as a Chronic Disease with Dr. Arya Sharma | Scale Up Your Practice S02 E02

🎙️This episode is sponsored by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada Why is obesity still treated differently from other chronic diseases? Dr. Arya Sharma, founder of Obesity Canada, joins Dr. Roshan Abraham to explore the biology of obesity, the limits of lifestyle advice alone, and the role of compassion, evidence, and better clinical tools in improving care. Listen to their conversation to learn why lifestyle advice alone is often not enough, how the body defends against weight loss, and why obesity should be understood as an impairment of health rather than a number on a scale. They also discuss how stigma shows up in clinical practice, why the Edmonton Obesity Staging System helps shift the conversation, and what more equitable, evidence-based obesity care could look like in the years ahead. ************************ In this episode: Why obesity must be understood and treated as a chronic disease How biology defends body weight and makes long-term weight loss difficult for many people Why lifestyle interventions alone are often not enough in obesity care How internalized blame and weight bias affect patients in the exam room What the Edmonton Obesity Staging System can reveal beyond BMI Why compassionate, individualized care matters in obesity management What better access to evidence-based obesity treatment could look like in Canada ************************ Additional Resources: Canadian Obesity Education Competencies: https://utm.guru/umQ99 Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://utm.guru/umRaJ Edmonton Obesity Staging System: https://utm.guru/umRaY The 5A’s of Obesity Management Framework: https://utm.guru/umRbf Follow Dr. Sharma on LinkedIn: https://utm.guru/umRbu ************************ Learning Objectives 1. Apply current biomedical knowledge to explain obesity as a complex, chronic disease rooted in neurohormonal dysregulation. 2. Differentiate between the presence of adiposity (body fat) and the disease of obesity (impairment of health) using the EOSS. 3. Analyze how the "lifestyle choice" narrative perpetuates systemic bias. ************************ Enjoying the podcast? Support Scale Up Your Practice by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or team member Subscribing on your favourite podcast platform Leaving a review to help more listeners find the show Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected] Sponsor an episode of Scale Up Your Practice If your organization wants to help us advance obesity care in Canada by shifting systems, advancing care, and reshaping narratives, we’d love to talk. Email [email protected] to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. 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. Disclaimer This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content shared in this podcast should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. The information and treatments discussed in this podcast are based on Canadian guidelines and approved practices as of the time of recording. If you are listening from outside of Canada, please consult your local healthcare professional to ensure compliance with your region's medical standards, guidelines and recommendations. The creators of this podcast disclaim all liability for any decisions or actions taken based on the content discussed. Listening to this podcast does not establish a professional or patient client relationship.