Scale Up Your Practice by Obesity Canada

Obesity Canada
  • 4.6 (9)
  • MEDICINE

Tune into Scale Up Your Practice, Obesity Canada’s podcast for healthcare professionals. Hosted by Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan, each episode dives into practical, evidence-informed conversations about obesity care—covering topics like weight stigma, patient-centered approaches, and the connection between obesity and other health conditions. You’ll hear expert perspectives, real-world experiences, and insights to help you provide better, more compassionate care. Listen now and scale up your practice. 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

  1. How to start the conversation about weight with Dr. Shahebina Walji

    3D AGO

    How to start the conversation about weight with Dr. Shahebina Walji

    🎙️This episode is supported by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada What happens in the first few moments of a conversation about weight with a patient can shape everything that follows. Dr. Shahebina Walji joins us for a thoughtful conversation about how to start discussions about weight in a way that feels respectful, collaborative, and actually helpful. We explore the power of asking permission, the harm weight bias can cause in clinical care, and the small but meaningful language shifts that can help patients feel heard instead of judged. If you’ve ever wondered how to approach this topic with patients more thoughtfully in practice, this conversation offers practical guidance you can use right away. In this episode Why asking permission to talk about weight can reduce anxiety, build trust, and help patients feel safe enough to be honest and engaged in care. How to move beyond generic advice by taking a more tailored, longitudinal history that reflects a person’s health, context, barriers, and goals. Practical, patient-centred language clinicians can use to open conversations with respect, avoid over-attributing symptoms to weight, and strengthen therapeutic relationships over time. Additional resources Primary Care Chapter of the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://utm.guru/uoKEuThe 5As Framework for Obesity Management in Adults: https://utm.guru/uoKFhEdmonton Obesity Staging System: https://utm.guru/uoKFkCanadian Obesity Education Competencies: https://utm.guru/uoKFlTake the next step in evidence-based obesity care Obesity Canada’s Calibre program is an accredited, expert-led course designed to help healthcare professionals strengthen their skills in obesity care. Grounded in Canada’s Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline, it blends self-paced learning with live, interactive sessions on communication, bias, collaborative care, and evidence-based treatment.  Learn more and register for the September 2026 cohort here: https://utm.guru/uoKFo  Learning objectives Apply a patient-centered approach to initiate compassionate, stigma-free conversations about obesity management during clinical encounters. Analyze how personal and systemic weight bias act as barriers to obtaining an accurate, tailored patient history, and adjust clinical communication to build trust. Evaluate practical strategies for asking permission and using the 5As framework to establish personalized, supportive therapeutic relationships with patients. 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 scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca 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.

    43 min
  2. Ethics, equity, and relational care in obesity medicine with Dr. Jerry Maniate

    APR 23

    Ethics, equity, and relational care in obesity medicine with Dr. Jerry Maniate

    🎙️This episode is supported by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada What does ethical obesity care look like when the system itself can make good care harder to deliver? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jerry Maniate about trust, language, weight bias, and the kind of reflective practice that helps healthcare professionals move beyond transactional and into relational care.  In this episode A closer look at the trust gap many people living with obesity experience in healthcareHow language can either open the door to better care or reinforce harm and disconnectionWhy ethical obesity care must account for real-world barriers like access, affordability, and food insecurityPractical reflections on how clinicians can unlearn outdated thinking and stay open to feedback Additional resources Equity in Health Systems Lab: https://utm.guru/un7Sv Carefully Chosen Words: Language for Inclusive Care: https://utm.guru/un7Sw Free course: Words matter: the Consequences of Weight Bias & Stigmatizing Language: https://utm.guru/un7Sx Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://utm.guru/un7Sy Canadian Obesity Education Competencies: https://utm.guru/un7Sz  Learning objectives Apply ethical frameworks and evidence-based best practices to navigate the rapidly evolving clinical science of obesity care.Analyze how receiving and acting upon interprofessional feedback fosters the learning necessary to maintain clinical competence.Evaluate how systemic weight bias compromises ethical standards of care, and identify collaborative strategies to dismantle these barriers in daily practice. Enjoying the podcast? Support Scale Up Your Practice by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or team memberSubscribing on your favourite podcast platformLeaving a review to help more listeners find the show Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca 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 science and best practices and authentically represents the lived experience perspective.

    33 min
  3. Navigating obesity pharmacotherapy in clinical practice with Dr. Sean Wharton

    APR 9

    Navigating obesity pharmacotherapy in clinical practice with Dr. Sean Wharton

    What changes when obesity care stops being about willpower and starts with biology? In this episode, Dr. Roshan Abraham speaks with Dr. Sean Wharton about how pharmacotherapy is reshaping obesity care, why “food noise” matters, and how clinicians can support patients with more empathy, less stigma, and a better understanding of obesity as a chronic disease. In this episode Why obesity medications need to be understood as treatment for a chronic disease, not an “easy way out”  How Dr. Wharton explains “food noise” and why naming it can help reduce self-blame What it looks like to pair pharmacotherapy with compassionate, person-centred care  Why long-term obesity care requires flexibility, compassion, and the willingness to try a different path when needed Additional resources Accredited course: Pharmacotherapy in Obesity Management: https://utm.guru/unvDk   2025 Update: Pharmacotherapy chapter of the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://utm.guru/unvDm  Learning objectives Apply evidence from the 2025 GLP-1/GIP pharmacotherapy landscape to co-construct patient-centric management plans. Analyze how obesity medications regulate neurohormonal pathways to quiet "food noise" and reinforce obesity as a complex chronic disease. Evaluate how systemic weight bias and the framing of medications as an easy fix create barriers to equitable pharmacotherapy access. 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 scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca 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.

    27 min
  4. The Science of Obesity as a Chronic Disease with Dr. Arya Sharma

    MAR 26

    The Science of Obesity as a Chronic Disease with Dr. Arya Sharma

    🎙️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 diseaseHow biology defends body weight and makes long-term weight loss difficult for many peopleWhy lifestyle interventions alone are often not enough in obesity careHow internalized blame and weight bias affect patients in the exam roomWhat the Edmonton Obesity Staging System can reveal beyond BMIWhy compassionate, individualized care matters in obesity managementWhat 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 Apply current biomedical knowledge to explain obesity as a complex, chronic disease rooted in neurohormonal dysregulation.Differentiate between the presence of adiposity (body fat) and the disease of obesity (impairment of health) using the EOSS.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 memberSubscribing on your favourite podcast platformLeaving a review to help more listeners find the showHave a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca 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 scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca 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.

    27 min
  5. Obesity Canada's Roadmap for Change with Lisa Schaffer & Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam

    MAR 12

    Obesity Canada's Roadmap for Change with Lisa Schaffer & Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam

    🎙️This episode is sponsored by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada What does it take to move obesity care forward in Canada? In the season two opener of Scale Up Your Practice, Executive Director Lisa Schaffer and Scientific Director Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam return to the podcast to unpack Obesity Canada’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. They explore what shifting systems, advancing care, and reshaping narratives can look like in practice, and how those changes can create more respectful, evidence-based experiences for people living with obesity. In this episode Why Obesity Canada’s new strategic plan is focused on shifting systems, advancing care, and reshaping how Canada understands and talks about obesityWhat better obesity care could look like by 2029, from more compassionate clinical encounters to better access to evidence-based treatmentWhy better obesity care depends on systems that reflect current science and support compassionate, personalized, long-term care Learning objectives Describe the three strategic drivers of Obesity Canada’s 2026–2029 Strategic Plan: Shifting Systems, Advancing Care, and Reshaping Narratives.Apply the podcast episode as a structured learning resource to support ongoing professional development within the CanMEDS Scholar role.Describe how the Reshaping Narratives pillar addresses systemic weight bias in media, policy, and public discourse.Additional resources Obesity Canada’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan: https://utm.guru/umqIM Canadian Obesity Education Competencies: https://utm.guru/umqIN  Embedding Obesity Care Into Medical Education: https://utm.guru/umqIO  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 scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. 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 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.

    26 min
  6. Mental health & obesity: What clinicians need to know with Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam

    2025-12-18

    Mental health & obesity: What clinicians need to know with Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam

    🎙️This episode is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada. When conversations about obesity focus only on food, movement, or medications, something essential gets missed. Mental health is not an add-on in obesity care. It’s foundational. In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice, we’re joined by Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, psychiatrist, researcher, Scientific Director of Obesity Canada, and co-author of the mental health chapter of the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines. We discuss how mental health intersects with obesity across the lifespan, and why addressing depression, anxiety, trauma, disordered eating, sleep, and weight bias is essential to providing compassionate, evidence-based care. Dr. Sockalingam shares practical insights clinicians can apply in everyday practice to strengthen patient relationships, reduce stigma, and support long-term health. In this episode: Why mental health matters in obesity care: How psychological health is both a driver and complication of obesity, and why it must be integrated into assessment and treatment. Recognizing and reducing weight bias in care: Where stigma shows up in clinical conversations and systems, and how language and validation can reshape patient experience. Practical strategies for real-world practice: Simple, time-efficient ways to screen for mental health concerns, address disordered eating, and support patients beyond lifestyle-only advice. What treatment can and can’t do on its own: How medications may influence appetite and eating behaviours, and when additional psychological support is essential. Additional Resources  Research: The Cost of Inaction in Treating Obesity: https://utm.guru/ujsc2  Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://utm.guru/ujsc4  Learn more about the intersection of sleep & obesity in episode 13 with Dr. Michael Mak: https://utm.guru/ujsc5  Free courses:  Intro to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Behavioural Change in Obesity Care: https://utm.guru/ujsc6  Intro to Behavioural Change Counselling for Obesity: https://utm.guru/ujsc7  Exploring the Role of Mental Health & Psychological Interventions in Obesity Management: https://utm.guru/ujsc9 📣 Register for the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026 Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026 in Montréal. Join researchers, healthcare professionals, policy leaders, and people with lived experience for five days of learning, collaboration, and community—centered on this year’s theme: obesity across the lifespan, connecting research to real-world care. Registration is open now and tickets are already selling fast. Register today: https://utm.guru/ujsc1 🎧 Season one finale This episode marks the final episode of season one of Scale Up Your Practice. Thank you for listening and being part of this first season of the podcast. We’ll be back after a short break with season two in 2026, bringing more conversations to support compassionate, evidence-based obesity care. 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 scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca

    1h 2m
  7. Liver health & obesity with Dr. Giada Sebastiani

    2025-12-04

    Liver health & obesity with Dr. Giada Sebastiani

    🎙️This episode is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada. Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects an estimated 38% of adults in North America — yet many patients have never heard the term before receiving a diagnosis. Confusion, stigma, outdated language, and misconceptions often contribute to delayed recognition and missed opportunities for early intervention. We’re joined by Dr. Giada Sebastiani, hepatologist and Professor of Medicine at McGill University, to explore the biological mechanisms behind MASLD, what early signs look like in clinical practice, and how to talk about liver disease in a way that reduces shame and strengthens the patient–provider alliance. Dr. Sebastiani also shares practical guidance for screening, counselling, and helping patients understand the path forward. In this episode:  The metabolic link between obesity and MASLD: How insulin resistance, adipose tissue dysfunction, and cardiometabolic risk factors drive steatosis, fibrosis, and progression to advanced liver disease. Patient communication that reduces stigma: Strategies for explaining MASLD, abnormal liver tests, and imaging findings in clear, non-blaming language that supports trust, understanding, and patient engagement. Screening and early detection essentials: Practical guidance on who to screen, how to interpret mild enzyme elevations, and when to use tools like FIB-4, transient elastography, and non-invasive biomarkers. Management that supports long-term liver and metabolic health: How lifestyle interventions, obesity pharmacotherapy, and multidisciplinary care can improve liver outcomes—and how to tailor these approaches to individual patient needs. Additional resources: The Cost of Inaction in Treating Obesity: https://utm.guru/ujpJ5  Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline: https://utm.guru/ujpJ6  Free course: Comprehensive Approaches to Obesity Management in Diverse Populations: https://utm.guru/ujpJ7  Free course: Words matter: The Consequences of Weight Bias and Stigmatizing Language: https://utm.guru/ujpJ8  Free course: Introduction to Behaviour Change Counselling for Obesity: https://utm.guru/ujpJ9  📣 Register for the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026 Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026 in Montréal. Join researchers, healthcare professionals, policy leaders, and people with lived experience for five days of learning, collaboration, and community. Registration is open now and tickets are already selling fast. Register today: https://utm.guru/ujpKa  📩 Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca 🎧 Enjoying the podcast? Support us by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or friend Subscribing on your favourite podcast platform Leaving a review to help more listeners find the show

    44 min
  8. Understanding PCOS and obesity with Dr. Emilia Huvinen

    2025-11-20

    Understanding PCOS and obesity with Dr. Emilia Huvinen

    🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️ Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common—and most misunderstood—conditions in women’s health. It affects an estimated 6–13% of women globally, yet up to 70% remain undiagnosed. PCOS isn’t just a reproductive issue. At its core is metabolic dysfunction: insulin resistance, adipose tissue inflammation, and hormonal disruption—all of which intersect closely with obesity. These biological drivers influence ovulation, fertility, mental health, metabolic health, and long-term risks like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, and MASLD.  In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice, we’re joined by Dr. Emilia Huvinen, Finnish gynecologist, researcher, and associate professor at the University of Helsinki, whose work focuses on the intersection of obesity and women’s health. Dr. Huvinen breaks down the biological roots of PCOS, the links with obesity, how stigma and bias shape care, and what evidence-based, compassionate management can look like. In this episode:  PCOS biology made clear: How insulin resistance, adipose tissue dysfunction, and hormonal shifts drive core symptoms — and why PCOS is fundamentally a metabolic condition. Explaining PCOS without blame: Approaches to help patients understand this condition without feelings of shame or blame. Evidence-based treatment options: From lifestyle support and metformin to hormonal therapy and obesity medications—and how to tailor care to the individual. Stigma, bias, and missed diagnoses: How weight bias delays recognition, affects fertility conversations, and shapes patient experiences—and how language can shift that. Team-based care in action: How primary care, gynecology, endocrinology, dermatology, and mental health providers can work together to support women with PCOS.Hope and emerging directions: Why early recognition matters, how treatment options are evolving, and what gives clinicians and patients reason for optimism.Additional resources:  Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline: https://utm.guru/ujnad  Free course: Beyond the Stereotypes: Delving Into The Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Science of Obesity: https://utm.guru/ujnag   Free course: Intro to Behaviour Change Counselling for Obesity: https://utm.guru/ujnai   Register now for the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026 Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026 in Montréal. Join researchers, healthcare professionals, policy leaders, and people with lived experience for five days of learning, collaboration, and community. Early-bird registration is open until November 30, 2025.  Register today: https://utm.guru/ujnab  📩 Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca 🎧 Enjoying the podcast? Support us by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or friendSubscribing on your favourite podcast platformLeaving a review to help more listeners find the show

    54 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Tune into Scale Up Your Practice, Obesity Canada’s podcast for healthcare professionals. Hosted by Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan, each episode dives into practical, evidence-informed conversations about obesity care—covering topics like weight stigma, patient-centered approaches, and the connection between obesity and other health conditions. You’ll hear expert perspectives, real-world experiences, and insights to help you provide better, more compassionate care. Listen now and scale up your practice. 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

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