Obesity should be recognized as a chronic, progressive disease

A new report from Obesity Canada, funded by Eli Lilly Canada, says failure to recognize obesity as a chronic, progressive disease has substantial economic implications. “With nearly one in three Canadians living with obesity, both the direct and indirect costs are staggering and illustrate that living with this disease has profound implications that go beyond the individual,” they write.

The report, The High Cost of Inaction, says the cost of inaction when it comes to treating obesity has reached $27.6-billion. This figure is 20 per cent higher than earlier estimates. Broken down, they say the incremental annual cost on Canada’s healthcare system due to obesity was $5.9-billion. Workplace productivity costs were more than three times higher, reaching an estimated $21.7-billion due to increased absenteeism, presenteeism, reduced productivity and lower workforce participation. They also estimate a $5.1-billion loss in income, sales and business tax revenues.

Downstream health conditions 

“Obesity is associated with more than 200 downstream health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many cancers, and is the result of a combination of genetic, environmental, biological, behavioural and social factors – not simply a lack of willpower. We know what to do, we have globally recognized, gold standard clinical practice guidelines, yet we are not implementing them effectively,” says Ian Patton, director of advocacy and public engagement at Obesity Canada.

The report also calls out drug plans, saying less than 20 per cent of the Canadian population with private drug benefit plans have access to medications for obesity treatment that are approved by Health Canada. “The Canadian Medical Association and the World Health Organization consider obesity as a chronic disease that requires health systems to prevent and treat it as they do other chronic diseases,” Obesity Canada added in a statement about the publication’s release.

Obesity Canada’s executive director, Lisa Schaffer, adds: “As a society, we have to stop perpetuating the myth that obesity is about a big person with an unhealthy love for food or unwillingness to exercise,” she says. “Obesity is a chronic disease that requires the type of health interventions and treatments given to any other chronic diseases.”