FOR THIS WOMAN LIVING WITH OBESITY, LACK OF AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING WAS A STRUGGLE
How one woman living with obesity changed her relationship with food
Sandra Elia knew she was addicted to food. The problem was convincing anyone else that her condition was fuelled by a disease – obesity, and notmere carelessness.
“I remember going to my doctor in my early-20s, and she was very clear with a simple formula: calories in and calories out,” recalls Elia, now a prominent Canadian food addiction counsellor.
“It seemed very simple, and yet it was nothing I could master. I just couldn’t do it,” she continues. “The shame and embarrassment of my increasing weight, year after year, kept me away from addressing other concerns.”
Those concerns included being depressed, reeling from childhood trauma and neglect, and dealing with a failing marriage. Like many patients, she also had a family history of obesity to contend with. Slowly but surely, her addiction to food took over.
By the time she was 29, her body ached from being 100 pounds overweight. She couldn’t move freely, and felt isolated from friends and family. Even climbing a flight of stairs proved challenging.
Food was her only source of comfort, she explains. She was addicted to “ultra- processed foods” that offered immediate gratification in the brain’s pleasure centres. Cake, chocolate, pie, and pizza were themost satisfying.
Still, the more she ate, the more she felt awful about eating. It was a vicious cycle.
According to Obesity Canada, Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. In the case ofmany patients, it can be exacerbated by one’s environment, genes, emotional health, lack of sleep, medical problems, or even certainmedications.
Elia is far from alone. According to 2016- 2017 findings from Statistics Canada, 34 per cent of Canadians are overweight, while 27 per cent are living with obesity.
The problem is also getting worse. In 2017, The Public Health Agency of Canada has found that the country’s obesity rate has doubled since the late 1970s.
The financial burden is a real concern. Based on an analysis of a number of studies, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, found that obesity costs the Canadian economy between an estimated $ 4.6 and $ 7.1 billion per year.
Despite its prevalence, adequate treatment for obesity remains elusive for many Canadians. Today, less than 20 per cent of employer-sponsored drug plans cover anti-obesitymedications.
For Elia, who had difficulty receiving adequate care, the first step in her recovery was actually selfdirected. She decided to “let go of the scale.” It’s a practice she still adheres to, and recommends to other people living with obesity.
“I was a compulsive weigher. I would weigh myself in the morning, after lunch, before bed. I don’t know what answers I was looking for,” says Elia.
“I came to realize my relationship with food was one of the most abusive relationships in my life. It had the power to ruin my day,” she continues. “With any abusive relationship, the best thing to do is to cut it out of your life.”
She started eliminating so- called “trigger foods” from her diet. For Elia, that meant refined sugar and flour. “I went through the same symptoms as any addict would go through during detox: intense physical cravings. I wanted sugar, flour, and fatty foods,” she recounts on her website.
She relapsed twice, when the cravings became overwhelming, but managed to shed 100 pounds and keep the weight at bay for 14 years. Now that she’s keeping track on a regular basis, Elia hasn’t looked at a scale in a long time.
Reaching a goal that worked for Sandra is a success story with a powerful message, but despite Elia’s accomplishments, treating obesity remains difficult for many Canadians.
A major challenge involves shifting public perception surrounding the disease. Many public and private drug plans treat obesity- related drugs as a lifestyle therapy, and as a result don’t cover them. Elia knows there’s a lot of work to be done when it comes to how we address obesity.
“Before we judge, we need to educate ourselves,” she continues. “Right now, there are more than seven million Canadians living with obesity. They are not lazy, undisciplined, or gluttonous. There is something going on. Let’s come at it from a place of compassion, knowledge, and wanting to help.”