still, finding adequate treatment is not simple. saunders, like many canadians, has found it difficult to seek proper care for obesity. today, fewer than 20 per cent of employer-sponsored drug plans cover anti-obesity medications.
“obesity is a symptom of something else,” offers saunders. “there’s always something underneath that needs to be addressed, whether it’s biological, psychological, or social. there’s something that’s triggering it.”
despite its classification as a disease, a major challenge involves shifting public perception surrounding obesity. the stigma of weight gain remains largely prevalent, saunders says. many public and private drug plans treat obesity-related drugs as a lifestyle therapy, and as a result don’t cover them.
society often views obesity as a “moral failing,” he adds, which doesn’t help. as a result, many families are left covering associated treatment costs entirely out of pocket.
“my wife’s insurance covered my medication for the last year that she was working. then when she retired, the plan changed, and my plan didn’t cover it,” says saunders. “that became an issue we had to deal with.”
saunders’ case is far from unique. according to a 2016-2017 study from statistics canada, 34 per cent of canadians are overweight, while 27 per cent are living with obesity. the latter is generally defined as having a body mass index greater than 30.