Scale Up Your Practice by Obesity Canada

Tune into Scale Up Your Practice, Obesity Canada’s podcast for healthcare professionals.Hosted by Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan, each episode dives into practical, evidence-informed conversations about obesity care—covering topics like weight stigma, patient-centered approaches, and the connection between obesity and other health conditions.You’ll hear expert perspectives, real-world experiences, and insights to help you provide better, more compassionate care.Listen now and scale up your practice.🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Scale Up Your Practice by Obesity Canada is a health podcast hosted by Obesity Canada, with 38 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Obesity Canada hosts Scale Up Your Practice by Obesity Canada, a health show with 38 episodes published.

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  Episode #14

  What patients may be thinking but not saying

  Sep 24, 20261 hourS2

  ️This episode is sponsored by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada What a patient says in an obesity care conversation may not tell the whole story. In this episode, Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan explore what can sit beneath silence, hesitation or agreement, especially after past experiences with weight bias or stigma. They share practical ways clinicians can build trust, ask better questions and make follow-up feel safer. In this episode Why silence or hesitation may reflect mistrust, not disinterest How past weight bias can shape the next clinical conversation Why asking permission can help build trust How curiosity can uncover barriers a patient is experiencing Why agreement does not always mean a plan feels realistic How to make follow-up feel safer when treatment does not go as expected Why health, function and patient goals matter beyond the number on the scale Additional resources Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines https://utm.guru/us5rk Free course: Words Matter: The Consequences of Weight Bias and Stigmatizing Language https://utm.guru/us5rm Free course: Obesity Assessment Essentials https://utm.guru/us5rp Become a Certified Bariatric Educator Today’s conversation is a good reminder that obesity care takes knowledge, compassion and a commitment to reducing stigma. For healthcare professionals with experience in obesity care, Obesity Canada’s Certified Bariatric Educator exam is one way to have that knowledge recognized and stand out in the field. The next CBE exam takes place on November 28, 2026 and applications must be submitted by November 2 to be eligible to write. Learn more and apply: https://utm.guru/us5rG Enjoying the podcast? Support Scale Up Your Practice by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or team member Subscribing on your favourite podcast platform Leaving a review to help more listeners find the show Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca Disclosures This episode script was developed using NotebookLM to synthesize complex source materials into a structured educational format. The tool was used to analyze the Canadian Obesity Education Competencies (COECs) , the Obesity Canada Strategic Plan , and guest-specific research. Specific prompts were utilized to extract relevant learning objectives, map them to CanMEDS roles, and generate competency-based interview questions. While NotebookLM assisted in drafting the narrative arc and educational framework, all content has been reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by the podcast hosts and Obesity Canada's clinical experts. This ensures the script aligns with current Clinical Practice Guidelines and authentically represents the lived experience perspective.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #13

  How patient voices can shape better obesity care with Marc Bains, Lisa Schaffer, and Ian Patton

  Sep 10, 202648 minS2

  ️This episode was made possible through the partnership between Obesity Canada and Boehringer Ingelheim in support of the Global Patient Charter Framework initiative. Lived experience belongs at the table where care is designed. Marc Bains, Lisa Schaffer and Ian Patton join Roshan and Michelle to talk about how the patient voice and lived experience can shape better care, stronger advocacy and more person-centred health systems. The conversation explores what obesity care can learn from HeartLife’s Patient and Caregiver Charter, and how Obesity Canada is beginning work toward a Canadian Patient Charter for Obesity. In this episode How lived experience can improve patient-centred obesity care What obesity care can learn from HeartLife’s Patient and Caregiver Charter How patient voice can shape healthcare policy, research and clinical practice Why person-centred care starts by asking “what matters to you?” How healthcare professionals can partner with people living with chronic disease Why lived experience is essential to shared decision-making and better care What Obesity Canada is building through the Canadian Patient Charter for obesity care Additional resources Heartlife Patient and Caregiver Charter: https://utm.guru/usIJa Global Foundational Patient Charter for Obesity: https://utm.guru/urFpe Learning objectives Apply principles of meaningful patient partnership and co-design to foster collaborative, patient-centred care and a culture of safety and quality in clinical practice. Analyze the role of patient partnership and multidisciplinary collaboration in improving access to evidence-based obesity care and reducing health inequities. Evaluate opportunities to integrate lived experience into clinical practice, quality improvement initiatives, and healthcare system design to improve patient outcomes. Enjoying the podcast? Support Scale Up Your Practice by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or team member Subscribing on your favourite podcast platform Leaving a review to help more listeners find the show Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca Disclosures This episode script was developed using NotebookLM to synthesize complex source materials into a structured educational format. The tool was used to analyze the Canadian Obesity Education Competencies (COECs) , the Obesity Canada Strategic Plan , and guest-specific research. Specific prompts were utilized to extract relevant learning objectives, map them to CanMEDS roles, and generate competency-based interview questions. While NotebookLM assisted in drafting the narrative arc and educational framework, all content has been reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by the podcast hosts and Obesity Canada's clinical experts. This ensures the script aligns with current Clinical Practice Guidelines and authentically represents the lived experience perspective.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #12

  Creating safer clinical spaces for pregnant patients with Dr. Cynthia Maxwell

  Aug 27, 202640 minS2

  ️This episode is sponsored by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada Pregnancy care should feel safe, respectful and supportive for every patient. But for pregnant patients living with obesity, clinical spaces can sometimes create anxiety before care even begins, from waiting room seating and equipment that do not fit, to conversations about weight, pregnancy risk and health that can feel stigmatizing. In this episode of Scale Up Your Practice , Dr. Cynthia Maxwell joins Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan to discuss how healthcare professionals can create safer, more equitable pregnancy care for patients living with obesity. She shares practical strategies to reduce weight bias in maternal care, communicate pregnancy risks without blame, ask permission around weighing, and build healthcare environments where patients feel physically and psychologically safe. In this episode How to create safer pregnancy care for patients living with obesity Why respectful maternal care starts with language, trust and psychological safety How to talk about pregnancy risks, weight and health without blame or shame Why asking permission before weighing patients can help reduce weight bias How clinic design, equipment sizing and digital tools can affect patient safety Why inclusive, stigma-free care benefits patients, families and healthcare teams How healthcare professionals can build more welcoming clinical spaces across the full patient journey Additional resources Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://utm.guru/ussjg Chapter: Weight management over the reproductive years for adult women with obesity: https://utm.guru/ussjh Pregnancy Obesity Medicine Surgery (POMS) Fellowship Program with Dr. Maxwell: https://utm.guru/ussji Become a Certified Bariatric Educator Today’s conversation is a good reminder that obesity care takes knowledge, compassion and a commitment to reducing stigma. For healthcare professionals with experience in obesity care, Obesity Canada’s Certified Bariatric Educator exam is one way to have that knowledge recognized and stand out in the field. The next CBE exam takes place on November 28, and applications must be submitted by November 2 to be eligible to write. Learn more and apply: https://utm.guru/ussjj Learning objectives Apply patient-centered, people-first language to collaboratively communicate potential pregnancy risk factors and monitor health metrics, ensuring the patient does not feel blamed or stigmatized. Analyze the clinical environment—from waiting room seating to the sizing of medical equipment like blood pressure cuffs, speculums, and ultrasound limitations—to identify and resolve physical barriers that compromise patient safety and comfort. Evaluate how systemic weight bias and scale aversion negatively impact maternal healthcare, and implement compassionate strategies to foster a more inclusive, welcoming hospital and clinic experience for expectant mothers. Enjoying the podcast? Support Scale Up Your Practice by: Sharing this episode Subscribing on your favourite podcast platform Leaving a review Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca Disclosures This episode script was developed using NotebookLM to synthesize complex source materials into a structured educational format. The tool was used to analyze the Canadian Obesity Education Competencies (COECs), the Obesity Canada Strategic Plan, and guest-specific research. Specific prompts were utilized to extract relevant learning objectives, map them to CanMEDS roles, and generate competency-based interview questions. While NotebookLM assisted in drafting the narrative arc and educational framework, all content has been reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by the podcast hosts and Obesity Canada's clinical experts. This ensures the script aligns with current Clinical Practice Guidelines and authentically represents the lived experience perspective.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #11

  Metabolic Bariatric Surgery, Stigma, and its Role in Obesity Care with Dr. Boris Zevin

  Aug 13, 202649 minS2

  ️This episode is sponsored by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada Metabolic bariatric surgery is often misunderstood as a last resort, or dismissed as “the easy way out.” In this episode, Dr. Boris Zevin joins Dr. Roshan Abraham and Michelle McMillan to discuss where surgery fits in obesity care, how it affects the biology of obesity, and how clinicians can talk about it with less stigma and more clarity. In this episode Where metabolic bariatric surgery fits in obesity care Why surgery is more than “weight loss surgery” How surgery can affect hormones, metabolism and diabetes control Why timing and shared decision-making matter How stigma can shape a patient’s willingness to consider surgery What long-term follow-up can look like after surgery How to talk about weight recurrence with patients without blame Additional resources Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines Chapter: Bariatric Surgery: Selection & Pre-operative Work Up: https://utm.guru/uscNZ Chapter: Bariatric Surgery: Surgical Options & Outcomes: https://utm.guru/uscN1 Chapter: Bariatric Surgery: Post-Operative Management: https://utm.guru/uscN2 Free course: A Comprehensive Overview of Bariatric Surgery for Obesity Management: https://utm.guru/uscN3 Calibre: Practical Clinical Strategies for Obesity Management If this episode leaves you thinking about how to strengthen your own approach to obesity care, Obesity Canada’s Calibre course is designed to help. Calibre is an accredited course for healthcare professionals who want practical, evidence-based tools they can apply in real clinical settings. The course combines self-paced learning with live, interactive sessions, helping learners build confidence in obesity assessment, treatment, communication, and patient-centred care. The next cohort runs September 3 through October . Learn more & register: https://utm.guru/uscN4 Learning objectives Apply evidence-based criteria to collaborate with patients in assessing the role of metabolic and bariatric surgery within a comprehensive obesity management plan Analyze the physiological and hormonal changes following metabolic surgery to better manage long-term patient outcomes and establish realistic clinical expectations. Evaluate how the stigma framing surgery as the "easy way out" creates systemic barriers to care, and implement communication strategies to dismantle this internalized bias during shared decision-making. Support Scale Up Your Practice by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or team member Subscribing on your favourite podcast platform Leaving a review to help more listeners find the show Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca Disclosures This episode script was developed using NotebookLM to synthesize complex source materials into a structured educational format. The tool was used to analyze the Canadian Obesity Education Competencies (COECs), the Obesity Canada Strategic Plan, and guest-specific research. Specific prompts were utilized to extract relevant learning objectives, map them to CanMEDS roles, and generate competency-based interview questions. While NotebookLM assisted in drafting the narrative arc and educational framework, all content has been reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by the podcast hosts and Obesity Canada's clinical experts. This ensures the script aligns with current Clinical Practice Guidelines and authentically represents the lived experience perspective.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #10

  How GLP-1s are Changing Nutrition Conversations with Dr. Michelle Cardel

  Jul 16, 202635 minS2

  🎙️This episode is sponsored by an unrestricted education grant from Eli Lilly Canada Obesity treatments are creating new opportunities for nutrition support that focuses on meeting nutritional needs rather than simply eating less. Dr. Michelle Cardel joins us on the podcast to explain how GLP-1 medications are changing nutrition conversations in obesity care, and why the focus must shift from eating less to helping patients stay nourished, supporting their health and healing their relationship with food. In this episode How GLP-1 medications can change appetite, food noise and nutritional needs Why nutritional adequacy matters during obesity treatment What clinicians should consider when discussing protein, fibre, hydration and eating patterns How weight bias can shape nutrition advice and patient experiences Why obesity is not a nutrition knowledge gap How to make nutrition conversations more individualized, respectful and collaborative Additional resources Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline https://utm.guru/urA1X Chapter: Medical Nutrition Therapy: https://utm.guru/urA1Y Free Course: A Deep Dive into Medical Nutrition Therapy & Physical Activity: https://utm.guru/urA1Z Harvard Implicit Bias Test: https://utm.guru/urA10 Food Noise Questionnaire: https://utm.guru/urA11 Calibre: Practical Clinical Strategies for Obesity Management If this episode leaves you thinking about how to strengthen your own approach to obesity care, Obesity Canada’s Calibre course is designed to help. Calibre is an accredited course for healthcare professionals who want practical, evidence-based tools they can apply in real clinical settings. The course combines self-paced learning with live, interactive sessions, helping learners build confidence in obesity assessment, treatment, communication, and patient-centred care. The next cohort runs September 3 through October . Learn more & register: https://utm.guru/urA12 Learning objectives Apply patient-centered communication to co-construct individualized medical nutrition therapy plans that respect a patient's lived experience and biological realities. Analyze the role of medical nutrition therapy when combined with obesity medications, focusing on strategies to ensure nutritional adequacy and preserve lean muscle mass. Evaluate how the traditional nutrition narrative perpetuates systemic weight bias, and implement strengths-based strategies to dismantle this stigma in dietary counseling. Enjoying the podcast? Support Scale Up Your Practice by: Sharing this episode with a colleague or team member Subscribing on your favourite podcast platform Leaving a review to help more listeners find the show Have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca Disclosures This episode script was developed using NotebookLM to synthesize complex source materials into a structured educational format. The tool was used to analyze the Canadian Obesity Education Competencies (COECs), the Obesity Canada Strategic Plan, and guest-specific research. Specific prompts were utilized to extract relevant learning objectives, map them to CanMEDS roles, and generate competency-based interview questions. While NotebookLM assisted in drafting the narrative arc and educational framework, all content has been reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by the podcast hosts and Obesity Canada's clinical experts. This ensures the script aligns with current Clinical Practice Guidelines and authentically represents the lived experience perspective.

  ListenShow Notes

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