National Post (National Edition)
DUE TO STIGMA, PROPER CARE FOR OBESITY CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND
Public perception shapes access to obesity support in Canada
The year he turned 50, Brian Saunders realized his obesity was becoming a serious problem.
The New Brunswick native, who had been steadily adding weight for much of his adult life, received a wakeup call that turned his world upside down.
“I had a conversation with my doctor, and I remember him telling me we’d reached a point where my arteries were hardening,” recalls Saunders.
“I was at increasing risk if we didn’t do something about getting the weight back down,” he continues. “That was an eye-opener for me.”
The ‘increased risk’ Saunders refers to is a host of co-morbidities associated with obesity. As weight in-creases, other health issues begin to manifest. These range from diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure to depression andeven cancer.
A family man at heart, Saunders realized he needed to address the disease and make serious changes in order to watch his grand-children grow up. He’d also seen friends and family face similar challenges, and knew the worst-case scenario was a very real possibility.
Obesity truly is a disease. According to Obesity Canada, it’s chronic and progressive, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. In the case of many like Saunders, the illness can be exacerbated by a host of factors, ranging from one’s environment and genes, to emotional health, lack of sleep, medical problems, or even certain medications.
Still, finding adequate treatment is not simple. Saunders, like many Canadians, has found it difficult to seek proper care for obesity. Today, fewer than 20 per cent of employer-sponsored drug plans cover anti-obesity medications.
“Obesity is a symptom of something else,” offers Saunders. “There’s always something underneath that needs to be addressed, whether it’s biological, psychological, or social. There’s something that’s triggering it.”
Despite its classification as a disease, a major challenge involves shifting public perception surrounding obesity. The stigma of weight gain remains largely prevalent, Saunders says. Many public and private drug plans treat obesity-related drugs as a lifestyle therapy, and as a result don’t cover them.
Society often views obesity as a “moral failing,” he adds, which doesn’t help. As a result, many families are left covering associated treatment costs entirely out of pocket.
“My wife’s insurance covered my medication for the last year that she was working. Then when she retired, the plan changed, and my plan didn’t cover it,” says Saunders. “That became an issue we had to deal with.”
Saunders’ case is far from unique. According to a 20162017 study from Statistics Canada, 34 per cent of Canadians are overweight, while 27 per cent are living with obesity. The latter is generally defined as having a Body Mass Index greater than 30.
The problem is also getting worse. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada in 2017, the country’s obesity rate has doubled since the late 1970s. A 2014 report from the World Obesity Federation predicts that more than 10 million Canadians will be affected by obesity by 2025.
There’s a significant financial burden, too. According to a Queen’s University study, obesity accounted for $3.9 billion in direct health care costs and $3.2 billion in indirect costs in 2006.
Weight wasn’t always a concern for Saunders.
Obesity ran in his family, but as a young man, he enjoyed a physique and metabolism that afforded him great mobility. He participated in a number of recreational sports, including hockey, baseball, and cycling, and didn’t think twice about what he ate.
Everything changed once he had children. Work became a top priority. His stress level increased. Healthy meals became an afterthought. Lingering sports injuries, including ACL reconstructions in both knees, began to limit his movement. His struggles with asthma
and high blood pres-sure weren’t helping, either.
It was a perfect storm of complications, none of which helped fight his disease. Slowly but surely, Saunders began putting on weight. And once it was there, it became nearly impossible to shed.
“You get very focused on making a living and securing a lifestyle that supports a family,” Saunders says. “With the kind of jobs I had, there was a lot of travel and time away from home. You just get into habits of being focused on your work.”
Moving forward, Saunders
has a simple message for Canadians — obesity is a legitimate health concern that affects all of us, whether it be the health of people we love, or the financial burden placed on our healthcare system. What’s more, those who want to seek treatment deserve a chance at improving their situation.
“People that are heavy are well aware of it. That’s not news,” he explains. “If a per-son wishes to make a change in their life, it’s for the benefit of us all if that person is afforded those tools. That’s the message.”