MISSION

The Obesity Peer Support University Program is the “mini” Obesity Fellowship you never had. The purpose of this educational experience is to provide you with a comprehensive base for understanding the pathophysiology of this disease and a true practical framework for treatment.

View the course curriculum here. All “classes” have been transferred to video. The curriculum focuses on three main principles:

1.      The pathophysiology of Obesity
2.      The treatment of Obesity
3.      The practical applications of disease management into daily practice

This program will help you to garner the information and skills That can translate into practice confidence, and a new and much needed clinical experience.  

The final section of this class, “Obesity in a Box”, contains information you will need to practically start a clinical conversation about obesity in your offices, from patient handouts, patient information and how to’s. It’s a collection of almost two decades of practical experience in this field, covering the things that worked best for me in everyday practice. It’s yours to use right away.

WHY DO THIS?

I’m often asked, “Why share all of it? Why put together all the learning and my ‘tricks of the trade’ in one place and just give it away?

My practice demands it.

As a doctor I’ve learned that no one has a monopoly on knowledge. Excellence is best when it is shared with the world. Furthermore, I’ve seen what the clinical silence and ignorance around obesity has done to my patients, our culture and our society as a whole. We are on the threshold of change. We as a medical community must respond in kind.

We must begin the conversations in our practices about obesity. We owe it to our patients to learn more and do more for this overwhelming health crisis. The standard that we pass is the standard we will accept. Silence is no longer acceptable.

We aim always to know better, do better, and be better. The history of medicine is marked by our ability to acknowledge our wrongs and to embark on a quest to make it right. It really is what I love most about being a doctor. I love that we can always learn and change and grow as people, as students and as clinicians.

As you progress through the classes I welcome your feedback via email about what works and what does not. Let’s learn from one another and pledge to be better as a community committed to positive change.

I’ve seen what bravery can do in the faces of the patients I treat every day. Let their strength, tenacity and resilience be the fuel that drives us to embark on a new educational and clinical course.

Shine on.

Ali Zentner, MD, FRCPC, Diplomate ABOM