Scale Up Your Practice by Obesity Canada

Psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Michael Mak returns to explore how sleep health fits into the patient journey of obesity care. For many people living with obesity, sleep challenges are part of the story—but they’re often left out of the care conversation. In this episode, we take a practical look at how poor sleep contributes to obesity, how obesity impacts sleep, and what clinician...

🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️ Psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Michael Mak joins us to explore one of the most overlooked intersections: sleep, mental health, and metabolic health. Sleep plays a foundational role in both physical and mental health—but it’s often sidelined in co...

National obesity researcher Dr. Angela Alberga returns for a deep dive into one of the most pervasive and harmful forces in society: weight bias and stigma. From subtle stereotypes to systemic barriers, weight bias shows up in ways we often don’t even see—especially in schools, sports, and healthcare. Its impact? Profound mental health effects, poorer care, and lifelong harm for many people living...

🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️ In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice , we’re joined by Dr. Angela Alberga , Associate Professor at Concordia University in Montreal, and a leading voice in weight bias research. As part of our Celebrating Canadian Excellence series, Dr. Alberga shares her p...

In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice , we dive into the kind of discomfort that sparks real change—in ourselves, in our conversations, and in how we support people living with obesity. Registered Dietitian and Certified Bariatric Educator Jennifer Brown shares how her experiences—both personal and professional—have shaped the way she supports people living with obesity. From rethinking nutrit...

🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️ Welcome to Scale Up Your Practice , the podcast where we bring together science, compassion, and lived experience to help healthcare professionals better support people living with obesity. In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan sit d...

How can we better support kids and families living with obesity? That’s the question we’re exploring in this episode—with help from the experts who helped write the new national guideline. We’re joined by two of the key contributors behind this work: Dr. Geoff Ball, co-lead author and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta, and Dr. Catherine Birken, Pediatrician and Research Scientis...

In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice , registered psychologist and global obesity expert Dr. Michael Vallis returns to talk about a critical topic in obesity care: how we define success. Too often, people living with obesity are made to feel like they’ve failed if they don’t achieve a specific number on the scale. But weight is not a behaviour—and it shouldn’t be the only marker of progress....

🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️ In the second instalment of our Celebrating Canadian Excellence series, we’re joined by globally recognized psychologist and obesity expert Dr. Michael Vallis . With deep expertise in behavioural medicine, Dr. Vallis shares his journey into the world of obesity...

Welcome to the very first episode of Scale Up Your Practice , the podcast created for healthcare professionals who want to deliver better, evidence-based obesity care. In this kickoff episode, your hosts Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan share their personal journeys into obesity care, introduce Obesity Canada’s mission, and explain why this podcast is needed now more than ever. You’ll also...

In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice , we sit down with Lisa Schaffer, Executive Director of Obesity Canada, to explore how the organization supports healthcare professionals and works to improve obesity care across Canada. We also dive into a special "Bias Break" segment, where co-host Michelle McMillan reflects on taking the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT) and what it revealed about...

🎙️ This episode is sponsored. Obesity Canada received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly Canada to produce this episode. 🎙️ In the first episode of our Celebrating Canadian Excellence series, we sit down with one of Canada’s leading voices in obesity care—Dr. Sean Wharton,  internal medicine physician. pharmacist, and global obesity expert. Dr. Wharton shares his personal journey int...

In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice , we’re joined by global obesity expert Dr. Sean Wharton, lead author of the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs). Dr. Wharton takes us behind the scenes of the CPG development process, shares what makes these guidelines groundbreaking, and dives into why obesity is a complex, chronic disease. We also discuss shifting from outdated we...