Pharmacy U presenter Mike Boivin: Pharmacists can play a role in obesity & weight management

Mike Boivin will be presenting on obesity & weight management at Pharmacy U Vancouver on November 4, 2023.

Obesity is one of the most prevalent conditions affecting Canadians. About 27% of Canadian adults are considered obese, and the prevalence surpasses 30% for those aged 40 to 69 years, according to a 2022 report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal by Medscape.

Obesity in the study was defined as a BMI ≥30. The research team included data from 746,408 survey participants.

The prevalence of obesity increased significantly across Canada between 2005 and 2018, gradually rising over time from 22.2% to 27.2%. The prevalence of obesity increased across genders. In 2005, about 24% of men and 20.4% of women were obese. In 2018, the rate continued to be higher among men, at 28.9%, than among women, at 25.4%.

Obesity also increased across all age groups. The highest rates were observed among those aged 50–69 years, followed by those aged 40–49 years. Between 2005 and 2018, the largest increase occurred among persons aged 40–49 years. By 2018, the prevalence of obesity among those aged 60–69 years was 32.3%, followed by those aged 50–59 years, at 31.4%, and 40–49 years, at 30.9%.

Every day in pharmacy practice, we see patients who are experiencing the negative health effects of this condition. Many people with obesity have comorbid cardiovascular, metabolic, mental health and physical conditions that severely impact the patient’s mortality risk and quality of life. Although obesity is now being classified as a chronic condition by experts throughout the world, most patients and many healthcare providers feel that it is a lifestyle issue where the patient simply has the lack of control or motivation to reduce their weight. 

Most people with obesity face stigma and discrimination. This has been shown to impact them socially and even financially. Many of these individuals have reported that healthcare providers have blamed them for their condition and have received suboptimal care due to their obesity. This stigma and discrimination have been shown to affect the patient’s ability to manage their condition and their interaction with healthcare system. 

Even with a significant number of different treatment options, most people with obesity tend to try to manage their conditions with behaviour changes such as changes as diets and physical activity. Although these changes can lead to improvement in overall health, they rarely lead to long-term weight reduction required to significantly impact of obesity. With hundreds of fad diets being introduced each year and ‘experts’ recommending the simple lifestyle changes that will lead to significant weight loss, healthcare professionals must be able to provide strong evidence-based recommendations to manage obesity.

Unfortunately, most people with obesity are not offered help and support to manage their condition. With the introduction of new and increasingly effective treatments, it is important for pharmacists to ask, engage and assist people with obesity. But many pharmacists and healthcare professionals don’t feel they have the tools and knowledge for effective management. 

This presentation will provide pharmacists with the tools to ask patients if they wish to manage their obesity, engage them in the assessment and management of obesity and assist them in initiating evidence-based therapies to help to improve long-term outcomes and improve the patient’s quality of life. Every participant should leave with a few tips to better address obesity in their pharmacy practice.

Mike Boivin will be presenting on obesity & weight management at Pharmacy U Vancouver on November 4, 2023.