Future Approaches to Weight Management

Future Approaches to Weight Management: The Medical Perspective

Arya Sharma, MD, DSc. (Hon), FRCPC
Emeritus Professor of Medicine
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB

 

Arya M. Sharma is Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Past-Chair in Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta. He is also the Past-Clinical Co-Chair of the Alberta Health Services Obesity Program. Dr. Sharma is founder and Scientific Director of Obesity Canada and co-founder and Past-President of the Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons. In 2020 he was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

His past appointments include positions as a Professor of Medicine and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) at McMaster University (2002-2007), Professor of Medicine at the Franz-Volhard Klinik-Charite, Humboldt University Berlin (2000-2002) and the Free University of Berlin (1994-2000). His interests focus on evidence-based prevention and management of obesity and it’s complications. 

Dr. Sharma is a leading voice in obesity science and medicine, has authored and co-authored more than 450 scientific articles, and has lectured widely on the etiology and management of obesity.  Dr. Sharma is regularly featured as a medical expert in national and international TV and print media and maintains a widely-read blog at  http://www.drsharma.ca 

Presentation Overview:

The recently released Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for Obesity defines obesity as a chronic progressive relapsing disease characterised by the presence of excess or abnormal adiposity that impairs health. This definition has significant implications for the management of obesity. 1) Obesity as the indications for treatment should no longer be defined solely by anthropometric measures (e.g. BMI).  2) The chronic relapsing nature of obesity calls for long-term management treatments and programs suited to managing chronic diseases. The guidelines also specify that the overall goal of obesity management is to improve health and thus, success should not be measured in terms of weight loss alone. As new treatments become available, access to these treatments for the millions of Canadians living with obesity will likely remain a significant challenge.