Canada gets failing grade for treating obesity: report

Canadians who are obese are not getting the treatment they deserve from public health systems and private benefits plans, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Canadian Obesity Network.

The 2017 Report Card On Access To Obesity Treatment For Adults In Canada outlines seven ways the country can improve its response to obesity, including the adoption of a true chronic disease approach to treatment.

The report also notes a very limited number of Canadian doctors are pursuing formal training and certification in obesity management. Currently bariatric surgery is available nationally to only one in 183 (or 0.54%) adults every year who may be eligible for it.

Bariatric surgery is conducted in nine provinces but none of the territories. The report found there are 113 surgeons in 33 centres in Canada where bariatric surgeries are performed and that the number of centres performing bariatric surgeries has not changed since an environmental scan conducted in 2012.

The report found that typically, wait times between consultation with a specialist and surgery is six to 12 months, but that those wait times can significantly vary from one province to the next. As well, many places will not accept out-of-province patience, which limits access to care for those in provinces and territories with no surgical programs.

More than 1.5 million Canadians are classified as having class II or III obesity (BMI: = 35.00 kg/m2), which is associated with negative health outcomes.

See the full report below or click here to view it on mobile.

Report Card on Access to Obesity Treatment for Adults in Canada by CityNewsToronto on Scribd