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In this impactful episode of Dear Healthcare Provider, host Michele Tedder is joined by experts Millicent Gorham from the Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention, Dr. Tracy Zvenyach from the Obesity Action Coalition, and Ryan Tedder of Serenity Projects. The discussion centers around the barriers to accessing obesity care, exploring challenges such as healthcare infrastructure, socioeconomic factors, insurance coverage issues, weight stigma, and the social determinants of health.

The panel illuminates the pressing need for comprehensive care, advocacy, and policies like the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act to ensure equitable treatment. Through personal stories and expert insights, the episode underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, public education, and the pivotal role of community health workers. Listeners are encouraged to share their experiences and engage in advocacy efforts to drive policy changes and improve care for individuals living with obesity.

Our sponsors mentioned in this episode:

Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention
https://womenshealthandprevention.org/

Everybody Covered
https://everybodycovered.org

Obesity Action Coalition
https://www.obesityaction.org/

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Guest: Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford
Topic: Addressing BMI, Obesity Treatment, and Weight Bias in Healthcare

In this premiere episode of Dear Healthcare Provider, we sit down with the renowned Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a trailblazing obesity medicine physician-scientist who is reshaping how healthcare approaches obesity. Dr. Stanford, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS), is one of the first fellowship-trained obesity medicine physicians worldwide. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and conducted 1200 media interviews. Her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Time, Glamour, and NPR. Dr. Stanford’s recent media appearances, include an interview on 60 Minutes, where she addressed physician bias towards patients with excess weight, her conversation with Oprah Winfrey for "The Life You Want Class: The State of the Weight" on Oprah Daily and her interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his CNN podcast, “Chasing Life’.

During the conversation, Dr. Stanford discusses:

• The limitations of using Body Mass Index (BMI) as a singular metric in healthcare.

• The importance of treating obesity as a chronic disease, not just a lifestyle issue.

• Effective, evidence-based treatment approaches for obesity.

• The pervasive weight bias and stigma in healthcare settings, and how clinicians can improve their care for patients with higher weights.

Tune in to learn more about Dr. Stanford’s groundbreaking work and her call to action for healthcare providers and policymakersto eliminate weight-based bias and improve care for all patientsliving with the disease of obesity.

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In this episode of Dear Healthcare Provider, the show's creator, Michele Tedder, shares how her personal health journey served as the inspiration and motivation to create the show.