Rethinking obesity

EDMONTON, AB, November 11, 2008/Troy Media/ -- The obesity crisis striking North America has prompted this province's Capital Health Region to try something completely different to combat the problem. It’s called the Weight Wise Program.

Leading this program is Dr. Arya Sharma, a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta and Canada’s foremost expert on obesity.

Sharma sees obesity as a chronic disease which requires a new, medical approach to its treatment.

“We are trying to build an infrastructure starting from a very basic community level where the emphasis is on prevention and healthy living… [It] goes all the way to working with family doctors to make sure that, when you go to your family doctor and have obesity problems, he and the allied health professionals actually know how to treat that condition,” Sharma explained. “Then, when things get more complicated, or more serious, you have the resources and centres in place for patients who really have huge weight issues can go for help.”

He believes treatment at obesity centres will eventually reduce the cost of related problems like diabetes, hypertension, and hip and knee replacements.

Keywords: obesity, weight watch, weight wise, expert on obesity, family doctors, reducing medial costs, diabetes, hypertension, hip and knee replacement

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