Scale Up Your Practice by Obesity Canada

• 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 2026Obesity 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 [email protected]🎧 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

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• Multidisciplinary care in adult obesity management: Dr. Rishi Handa & Pharmacist Khalid Bhatti

  🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️Multidisciplinary care can transform obesity management for patients — but what does it actually look like in practice?In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice, we sit down with Dr. Rishi Handa, internal medicine specialist, and pharmacist Khalid Bhatti, co-founders of Durham Care Clinic + Pharmacy in Oshawa, Ontario, a collaborative care model bringing physicians, pharmacists, and allied health professionals together to support patients living with obesity and related chronic diseases.From shared decision-making to the use of the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, this conversation explores how teamwork can improve outcomes, reduce bias, and make obesity care more connected, compassionate, and effective.In this episode:Building better systems of care: How Durham Care Clinic brought physicians, pharmacists, and dietitians, and other allied health professionals together to close care gaps and improve care coordination for patients living with obesity.From silos to teamwork: What multidisciplinary, patient-centred care looks like in practice—and how shared responsibility changes outcomes and experiences.Putting the guidelines to work: How the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines can anchor care planning, communication, and collaboration across teams.Connecting chronic conditions: How a unified team approach supports patients managing obesity alongside diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.Bias, trust, and collaboration: How working as a team helps identify and address weight bias in the system—improving empathy, communication, and care quality.Practical takeaways for clinicians: What any practice—large or small—can do to start integrating multidisciplinary principles and make obesity care more connected and compassionate.Additional resources:Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://utm.guru/ujkVE Durham Care Clinic + Pharmacy: https://utm.guru/ujkVF Free courses from Obesity Canada: https://utm.guru/ujkVG Don’t miss the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026, in Montréal, Québec.It’s five days of learning, collaboration, and community—all centered on the theme: “Obesity Across the Lifespan: Connecting Research to Real-World Care.”✨ Early bird registration is open until November 30, 2025. Learn more and register here → https://utm.guru/ujkVH 📩 Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]🎧 Enjoying the podcast?✅ Share this episode with a colleague or your care team ✅ Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform ✅ Leave a review to help more listeners discover the showThanks for listening — and stay with us as we continue to scale up your practice.

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• Knee & hip replacement recommendations for people living with obesity with Dr. Harman Chaudhry

  Delays, denials, and BMI cut-offs have long shaped access to joint replacement surgeryfor people living with obesity. Orthopaedic surgeon and steering committee member Dr. Harman Chaudhry joins us to unpack the new Canadian Orthopaedic Association recommendations for knee and hip replacements for people living with obesity. We cover what’s changed, why communication matters, and how clinicians and patients can navigate toward equitable, evidence-based surgical decisions.In this episodeReframing access to surgery: Why national recommendations were needed, how BMI cut-offs created inequities, and what’s changing with a more individualized, case-by-case approachBias, communication, and patient trust: How stigma shows up in surgical care—and why language, empathy, and open dialogue can change both outcomes and experiencesBalancing risk & benefit: What the evidence really says about outcomes for people living with obesity after hip and knee replacement, and how to guide risk-benefit conversations with patientsPractical advocacy in action: Steps clinicians and patients can take to improve access—optimizing health, asking for second opinions, and ensuring no one leaves an appointment without a planLooking ahead: How system design, central intake models, and collaborative advocacy can build a more equitable path to joint replacement across CanadaAdditional resourcesCanadian Orthopedic Association: Recommendations on Elective Total Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery in People Living with Obesity https://utm.guru/ujhto Announcement from Obesity Canada on the COA’s recommendations: https://utm.guru/ujhtp Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline: https://utm.guru/ujhtq Explore our free, online education courses for healthcare professionals: https://utm.guru/ujhtr Don’t miss the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026 in Montréal, Québec. Join researchers, healthcare professionals, and advocate voices to connect the latest science with real-world care.Submit your abstract by October 31, and secure your spot at the conference. Early bird registration is open now through November 30, 2025.Learn more and register: https://utm.guru/ujhts 📩 Questions or topic requests?Email us: [email protected]🎧 Enjoying the podcast? Support the show:Share this episode with a colleague or studentSubscribe on your favourite podcast platformLeave a review to help others find the showThanks for listening—and stay with us as we continue to scale up your practice.

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• Advocating for patients in obesity care with Dr. Ian Patton

  🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️Access to obesity treatment in Canada can feel like a maze—for both patients and healthcare professionals.In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice, we sit down with Dr. Ian Patton, Obesity Canada’s Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement, to talk about the barriers people face in accessing obesity care—and how clinicians and patients can work together to change that.From the everyday challenges of navigating authorizations and waitlists to the bigger system-level barriers, Ian shares practical strategies clinicians can use to support patients within the realities of our current healthcare system—while working toward a more equitable one.In this episode:Why access to evidence-based obesity care remains inconsistent across CanadaHow delays, denials, and system barriers affect patient motivation and healthPractical steps clinicians can take to reduce friction and improve efficiencyThe power of communication, empathy, and trust in patient advocacyHow peer support and communities like OC Connect empower patientsWhat needs to change at a system level to make equitable care possibleAdditional resources:OC Connect patient community:https://utm.guru/ujesc Private insurance appeal letter: https://utm.guru/ujesd Workplace & employer resources: https://utm.guru/ujese Tell your government representative to recognize obesity as a chronic disease: https://utm.guru/ujesf The Patient-Physician Partnership in Advocacy: https://utm.guru/ujesg Don’t miss the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026, in Montréal, Québec. It’s where Canada’s obesity community—researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and lived experience advocates—comes together to share the latest science and advance care.✨ Early bird registration is open through November 30, 2025.Register today: https://utm.guru/ujesh 📩 Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]🎧 Love what you’re learning? Here’s how you can support the podcast: ✅ Share this episode with a colleague or student✅ Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform✅ Leave a review to help more listeners find the showThanks for tuning in—and stay with us as we continue to scale up your practice.

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• Behaviour change counselling in obesity & chronic disease management with Dr. Michael Vallis & Dr. Tiffany Shepherd

  Behaviour change in obesity and chronic disease care is complex, relational, and happens far beyond the clinic visit—so our conversations with patients need to reflect that reality.In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice, we sit down with health psychologists Dr. Michael Vallis and Dr. Tiffany Shepherd to rethink how we teach behavioural change counselling skills. We explore the shift from transactional to relational care, the “Grand Apology” as a trust-building tool, and practical ways clinicians can co-create behavioural change with patients while navigating time and system constraints.In this episode:Why behavior change is a core pillar in the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice GuidelinesMoving from control to collaboration: the relational model in practiceCreating safe, efficient conversations that invite patient creativity and agencyTeam impact: how these skills strengthen inter-professional care and clinician confidenceBuilding competencies over time: awareness → competence → confidenceAdditional resources:Learn more about the Advanced Obesity Counselling Certification program: https://utm.guru/ujbvU Register for the November AOCC Cohort: https://utm.guru/ujbvV Read the research on behavioural change counselling: https://utm.guru/ujbvW Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines; Effective Psychological and Behavioural Change Interventions in Obesity Management: https://utm.guru/ujbvX Don’t miss the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026, in Montréal, Québec. It’s where Canada’s obesity community comes together — researchers, and healthcare professionals— to exchange ideas, share the latest science, and put evidence into practice.Register today: https://utm.guru/ujbvY 📩 Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]🎧 Love what you’re learning? Here’s how you can support the podcast: ✅ Share this episode with a colleague or student ✅ Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform ✅ Leave a review to help more listeners find the showThanks for tuning in—and stay with us as we continue to scale up your practice.

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