What is Obesity?

Obesity is a chronic medical condition characterized by excess adiposity (fat tissue) on the body that is impairing health, quality of life, or function.

Obesity is not your fault.

Obesity is caused by many factors including our genetics, epigenetics, environment, medications, mental health, hormones, lifestyle factors and psychology. 

For many years, patients living with obesity have been told to "eat less and exercise more". This hasn't worked. Patients have sought diet after diet in earnest attempts to manage their weight. With each failed strategy comes a growing sense of learned helplessness.

The reality is that diets don't solve obesity.

Obesity requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach to address the physiology, psychology AND behaviours through an empowered mindset.

Our Medical Team is here to help you address the physiology of weight dysregulation. With new pharmacotherapies that target the appetite and weight regulation centres of the brain, obesity is now a treatable chronic medical condition where patients can expect successful longterm weight loss and health improvement.

Want to learn more about Obesity?

Listen to Dr. Sasha High's 5-Part podcast series entitled "Rethinking Obesity" on her podcast High on Life (available on all streaming platforms).

What can you expect at HMC?

Once we receive a referral from your Family Doctor, our admin will contact you to set up a virtual Medical Consultation with one of our Obesity Specialist Physicians. 

At your Consultation, we will explore your weight history, family history, medical history,  medications and lifestyle to understand what may be contributing to overweight or obesity. Our physicians will then outline your treatment options which may include lifestyle counselling through our Dietitian team, medications or bariatric surgery.

Our goal is to help you understand what treatments are available so that you can choose which tools you want to implement in your life. 

Our highly specialized Registered Dietitians offer dietetic packages that may be covered by your private health insurance. They have expertise in cognitive behavioural counselling, overcoming emotional eating, nutrition for insulin resistance, and binge eating disorder.

If you wish to proceed with anti-obesity medications, our physicians will prescribe and supervise care for one-year. Follow up medical visits are scheduled as medically indicated, but usually every 3 months. After one year, ongoing medical care for obesity is transferred back to your Family Physician for the longterm. 

All medical visits are virtual only. We do not offer in-person appointments. There are some conditions that may require a physical examination. Given the limitations of telehealth, we will refer you back to your Family Physician if an in-person medical appointment is necessary.

What medications are available in Canada?

Our physicians use sound clinical judgment and evidence-based guidelines to determine whether anti-obesity medications are required.

In Canada, the following anti-obesity medications are approved by Health Canada: Orlistat (Xenical), Liraglutide (Saxenda), Wellbutrin/Naltrexone (Contrave), and Semaglutide (Wegovy).

The follow medications may be used off-label in the treatment of obesity and related disorders: Metformin, Semaglutide (Ozempic), Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse).

Additional Supports

Our physicians may determine that additional psychological supports would be beneficial. Our MD Psychotherapist and Psychiatrist offer CBT, DBT and supportive counselling for select patients. We also offer treatment for Binge Eating Disorder using Dialectical Behavioural Therapy.