Primary Care Alberta partners with Obesity Canada to coordinate provincial treatment pathways

Primary Care Alberta announced Monday, August 24, that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Obesity Canada, a national non-profit, to coordinate obesity care resources and education across the province.

The partnership will focus on six areas: developing pathways for care, educating the healthcare workforce, reducing stigma, aligning obesity management and prevention strategies, developing clinical practice guidelines, and supporting healthy weight gain during pregnancy. Primary Care Alberta says it will rely on data to track progress, addressing what it calls a gap in the health care system where quantitative data and patient experience tracking have been lacking.

Obesity Canada estimates the disease costs Canadians around $27.6 billion annually. The health agency said obesity is one of Alberta's most significant chronic health issues, with currently one in three Canadians living with the disease, which is linked to around 200 other conditions.

Lisa Schaffer, executive director of Obesity Canada, said experts are predicting that by 2030, half the world population will be obese. While Alberta is not topping the charts nationally, numbers remain high. She noted that obesity is a complex disease requiring three different areas of care — pharmacotherapy, psychological support, and surgical intervention when needed.

Kim Simmonds, CEO of Primary Care Alberta, said the organization will lean on data to measure its progress. "We're helping Albertans and primary care providers understand how to provide the best obesity care in the country," Simmonds said.

The partnership follows Alberta's March 2026 announcement that it became the first province in Canada to declare obesity a chronic disease. University of Alberta obesity professor Geoff Ball, who specializes in pediatric and family obesity research, called that declaration an important step, and views the Obesity Canada partnership as another positive move for Alberta healthcare. Ball emphasized that prevention extends beyond medical management: "There are lots of factors that are involved, and I think health care is just one piece of that pie."