OBESITY CANADA

What OBESITY CANADA does

Obesity Canada is a Canadian registered charity (charity number 8107 62146 RR0001) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, on Treaty 6 territory. The organization is the leading Canadian body focused on obesity as a chronic disease, operating at the intersection of clinical guideline development, patient support, healthcare professional education, and policy advocacy. It was founded by Dr. Arya Sharma and is currently led by Executive Director Lisa Schaffer, Scientific Director Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, and Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement Dr. Ian Patton.

Its core offerings include the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines (19 chapters, endorsed by 18 international organizations and developed with the Canadian Association for Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons), the newly updated Canadian Pediatric Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines (published in CMAJ in April 2025 as the first update in nearly 20 years), continuing medical education programs for healthcare providers, and OC Connect, a secure, evidence-based online patient community. The organization also operates the Scale Up Your Practice podcast, a planned Obesity Care Finder Tool, and an array of patient self-advocacy resources including insurance coverage letter templates.

The business model is a nonprofit funding stack: the majority of resources, clinical guidelines, patient tools, and the OC Connect community are provided free of charge, with revenue generated through individual and organizational donations (including Giving Tuesday campaigns), paid accredited CME course fees, and project-specific grants such as Lilly Canada's funding of the 'Cost of Inaction' economic burden report. Go-to-market is community-led and education-driven, using the organization's website, social channels, healthcare professional networks, and earned media to reach patients, providers, employers, and policymakers across Canada.

Name

OBESITY CANADA

Legal name

Obesity Canada

Website

https://obesitycanada.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Obesity Canada is a Canadian registered charity founded in 2005 that publishes gold-standard obesity clinical practice guidelines, runs the OC Connect patient community, delivers healthcare professional education, and advocates for recognition of obesity as a chronic disease.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Advocacy and Obesity Education

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

Obesity Medicine & Weight Management (HLAKADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Weight Management & Behavior Change Education (EDAAAHAF)

Keywords

• Obesity clinical guidelines
• Chronic disease education
• Healthcare professional training
• Patient advocacy services
• Medical education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: As a registered charity (number 8107 62146 RR0001), Obesity Canada relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund its mission of advancing obesity science, reducing weight bias, and supporting people affected by obesity. The organization runs giving campaigns such as Giving Tuesday.
2. Professional Education Programs: Obesity Canada offers continuing medical education programs for healthcare professionals, including both free on-demand courses and paid accredited course options. Revenue is generated through course fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Obesity Canada is a registered Canadian charity that advances obesity science, reduces weight bias, and supports people affected by obesity through clinical practice guidelines, patient and healthcare professional education, an online patient community (OC Connect), and policy advocacy. The organization produces internationally recognized adult and pediatric clinical practice guidelines, continuing medical education programs, and free educational resources for patients, allies, and employers.

Product overview

Obesity Canada is a registered charity organization focused on obesity education, research, and advocacy. The organization operates as a not-for-profit health advocacy body rather than a commercial technology product company. Its offerings include the OC Connect Secure Patient Community (a digital patient support platform), clinical practice guidelines for adults and pediatrics, the Scale Up Your Practice podcast, and professional education programs. These products and services work together to advance evidence-based obesity care through patient support, healthcare provider education, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OC Connect: A secure patient community platform for people living with obesity, offering a judgment-free, evidence-based space for support and connection.

Products and services

• OC Connect Secure Patient Community A free, private, and evidence-based online community for patients living with obesity, providing a judgment-free zone for sharing experiences, finding support, and connecting without stigma or commercial influence.
• Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline Gold-standard clinical practice guidelines developed in partnership with the Canadian Association for Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons, recognized internationally with 19 detailed chapters covering assessment, pharmacotherapy, surgery, and more.
• Canadian Pediatric Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline First update to pediatric obesity clinical practice guidelines in nearly 20 years, developed with input from families, youth, and 53 multidisciplinary experts, shifting focus from weight loss to improving overall health and quality of life.
• Scale Up Your Practice Podcast Podcast hosted by a family physician and a person with lived experience, providing short, practical conversations to help healthcare professionals deliver better obesity care in their practice.
• Education for Healthcare Professionals Continuing medical education programs offering free on-demand and paid accredited courses for healthcare professionals on compassionate, evidence-informed obesity care.
• Template Letter for Insurance Coverage Ready-to-go letter template for patients to request coverage for obesity treatments from insurance providers, with evidence-based language and research-backed arguments.
• Patient Tools and Resources Educational resources for patients including information about weight bias and stigma, insurance coverage support, and connections to care.

Quantifiable outcome

• Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines adapted and recognized internationally by 18 global organizations
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Canadian Association for Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons (CABPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerObesity Canada collaborated with CABPS to develop the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, recognized internationally as gold-standard resources for obesity management. The partnership combines clinical expertise from both organizations to advance evidence-based obesity care in Canada.
• 18 International Endorsing OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEighteen global organizations have endorsed the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, including the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, European Association for the Study of Obesity, Obesity Medicine Association, and others. This endorsement network spans multiple countries and medical specialties.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Obesity Medicine Association (OMA): US professional medical association focused on clinical obesity treatment, provider education, and certification. Directly comparable to Obesity Canada's HCP-focused guideline and CME work, and is itself one of the 18 organizations endorsing OC's adult guideline.
• The Obesity Society (TOS): Leading US scientific society dedicated to obesity research and treatment. Closely comparable mission around evidence-based care, professional education, and scientific publication, overlapping with Obesity Canada's research and HCP education focus.
• Obesity Action Coalition (OAC): US-based nonprofit patient advocacy organization for people affected by obesity. Closest direct peer to Obesity Canada: runs education, advocacy, and community programs with similar mission of reducing weight bias and expanding access to evidence-based care.

Regional players

• European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO): European pan-region obesity organization advancing research, policy, and clinical practice. Comparable as a guideline-influencing and advocacy-driven peer serving a different geography; also an endorser of Obesity Canada's adult clinical practice guideline.
• National Obesity Forum (UK): UK independent charity raising awareness of obesity and providing HCP education. Comparable to Obesity Canada in combining HCP training, public education, and advocacy, but operating in the UK.
• Obesity Policy Coalition: Australia-based advocacy coalition focused on preventing obesity and improving access to treatment. Comparable advocacy-and-policy remit and nonprofit operating model, but geographically focused on Australia.
• Obesity UK: UK patient-facing obesity charity providing information, support, and advocacy. Comparable to Obesity Canada as a national-level obesity charity combining patient education and policy advocacy, but focused on the UK market.

Broad incumbents

• World Obesity Federation: Global obesity organization focused on policy, advocacy, and World Obesity Day. Comparable to Obesity Canada in mission and policy-adjacent advocacy work, but operating globally and at higher scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/canadianobesity
• Facebookfacebook.com/ObesityCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/obesitycanada
• Instagraminstagram.com/obesitycanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about OBESITY CANADA