Host: Ishna A. Sharma, M.D. https://twitter.com/IshnaSharmaMD

Guest: Meera Shah, M.B., Ch.B.

Obesity has become a significant public health crisis in both the U.S. and around the world. Globally, over 1.9 million people are overweight, and 650 million people are obese. In the U.S., 39.8% of the adult population is obese. Obesity leads to hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, diabetes, sleep apnea and even certain cancers. Outside of the morbidity and mortality associated with this, obesity also leads to almost $200 billion annually in healthcare costs. Obesity is a complex medical issue, and one of the first settings a patient may receive care for this is at the PCP office.

This episode is the first episode in our Obesity Edition focused on how a primary care physician can help an obese adult patient who visits them in clinic. This episode will concentrate on the basics: How to approach the conversation with a patient; How to guide their next steps; How to continue caring for an obese patient once they are underway in their management. Today, we’re joined by Meera Shah, M.B., Ch.B., a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist specializing in obesity, who will help guide us in answering these questions and more. 

Mayo Clinic Talks Obesity Edition Online CME Course

Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.