Watch above: Nearly 60 per cent of Alberta adults are either overweight or obese, so what should be done? Global’s Heather Yourex caught up with one Calgary man who recently lost 100 pounds for some perspective.
EDMONTON — Six out of 10 adults in Alberta are overweight or obese, according to a report released by the Health Quality Council of Alberta.
The number is 3.7 per cent higher than the national average, which found half of Canadians are carrying around more weight than they should. But some health experts say not everyone can access weight management resources.
“What we’ve found is that access to resources to help people manage their weight is not evenly distributed throughout the province,” said Andrew Neuner, chief executive officer with the HQCA.
While the report recommends primary care physicians take the lead when it comes to helping Alberta patients manage their weight, obesity expert Dr. Arya Sharma believes most family doctors don’t have the proper training. The University of Alberta Obesity Research Chair says for too long obesity has been seen as a risk factor for other illness, when it should be treated like a chronic disease.
“We need to recognize that people who struggle with the problem need treatment very similar to the kind of treatment you would give to people with diabetes and other chronic disease,” he said.
Mike Cottingham, a Calgary father who was once more than 100 pounds overweight, said his family doctor provided little help.
“My family doctor basically told me every time I was in there I needed to lose weight, but there was never any indication of how.”
Cottingham eventually lost the weight with the help of a personal trainer who focused on nutrition, meal planning and exercise.
“The rise in obesity is a worldwide public health issue, and is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and more frequent use of healthcare services, and so the HQCA decided to explore this issue further,” said Dr. Tony Fields, HQCA Board Chair.
Obesity can lead to chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and chronic pain.
READ MORE: Obesity rates have tripled in Canada in less than 3 decades
In 2014, the council conducted a healthcare satisfaction survey involving 4,424 adult Albertans. As part of the survey, self-reported height and weight was collected in order to calculate their body mass index (BMI).
The results found 35 per cent were overweight and 24 were obese. Men ages 45 to 64 years old and those living in northern Alberta had the highest per cent of obesity and being overweight.
In addition to increased risk for health problems, those who were overweight and obese also reported having a lower quality of life.
“With this report, we aimed to understand the impact of overweight and obesity on quality of life and our healthcare system and to provide rationale for the role of primary healthcare in weight management,” said Andrew Neuner, HQCA Chief Executive Officer.
The HQCA said the report has helped the council understand that the role for managing overweight and obese populations falls mostly on primary healthcare providers.
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Based on the findings from the report, HQCA recommends Alberta may benefit from working towards a more unified strategy for weight management. The council also believes an evaluation of new or ongoing weight-management strategies in Alberta is needed to better identify programs that are working and benefiting the health of Albertans.
In response to the report, the acting chief medical officer of health said the rising rates of obesity are “a concern.”
“One of the most important ways we can deal with the issue of obesity is to make sure we are raising healthy and active children,” Dr. Ada Bennett in a statement. “We are also working with Alberta Education to deliver wellness programs to our school children and provide funding to programs such as Ever Active Schools that provides services to schools that support healthy weights in children.”
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