Canada’s leading expert on obesity brings show to Ottawa
MEDIA RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Edmonton, AB – Dr. Arya Sharma, Canada’s foremost leader on obesity and weight management moves out of the clinic and onto the stage. With over 300 scientific articles under his belt, Dr. Sharma says, “It is now time to take the ‘show’ on the road – there are so many misconceptions and myths about obesity and weight loss – it is hard to even know where to begin.”
One in three Canadians struggle with excess weight, in his uplifting and entertaining show Dr. Sharma breaks down in simple terms what works and what doesn’t. He tackles the role of exercise and calories “in” vs calories “out”, realistic goal setting, stress, sleep and self-esteem; as well as some of the lesser known drivers of weight gain, including the bugs that live in your gut, physiology, time management issues, psychological conditions and societal factors. The event will be followed by a ‘no-holds-barred’ Question and Answer session.
In his research, Dr. Sharma doesn’t just look at what people eat or how much they exercise. Rather, he says, “It is far more important to understand why people do what they do.” As he points out, fast food is not a ‘food’ problem, it is a ‘time’ problem – many of us simply don’t take the time to eat well.
Dr. Sharma presents a refreshing truth about weight management “The idea that we can simply tell people to eat less and move more is as effective as telling people with depression to cheer up.” His goal is to change people’s attitudes about obesity, presenting an evidence-based truth about the challenges of effectively losing weight and keeping it off; while bringing awareness to societal influences and individual environments that play a key-role in prevention.
If there is one person who can present the latest in scientific research in a simple and accessible fashion, it’s Dr. Sharma, with his unique brand of ‘say-it-like-it-is’ humor.
His widely read obesity blog (www.drsharma.ca) is not afraid to tackle controversies and has a worldwide following. As he points out: “As a supposedly serious scientist, I’m surprised at having over 13,000 ‘Likes’ on Facebook and 6,000 followers on Twitter. I must be saying something that people are not hearing elsewhere.”
Stop Being a Yo-Yo: A Light-hearted Look at the Ups and Downs of Weight Loss
Thursday October 2
University of Ottawa
Room RGN 2005, Roger-Guindon Hall
451 Smyth Road
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
Tickets at www.drsharma.ca/events or $12 (at the door, cash only). All proceeds will go to support the Canadian Obesity Network
Dr. Arya Sharma is available for interviews.
About| Dr. Arya M. Sharma, MD/PhD, FRCPC In 2002, Arya M. Sharma was recruited from the Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, to a Canada Research Chair (Tier1) in Cardiovascular Obesity and Management at McMaster University. In 2007 he accepted a position as Professor and Chair in Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta, where he is also the Medical Director of the Edmonton Regional Bariatric Program. In 2005, he spearheaded the launch of the Canadian Obesity Network, which, with well over 6000 members, has remarkably transformed the landscape of obesity research and management in Canada. He is also Past-President of the Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons. His research focuses on an evidence-based approach to managing obese patients and includes the development of the Edmonton Obesity Staging System. Dr. Sharma has authored or coauthored more than 300 publications and has lectured widely on the aetiology and management of hypertension, obesity, and related cardiometabolic disorders. Dr. Sharma is regularly featured as a medical expert in national and international TV and print media including the CBC, CTV, New York Times, and MSNBC. Dr. Sharma maintains a widely-read blog where he regularly posts his ideas and thoughts on obesity prevention and management. www.drsharma.ca.
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