UAlberta occupational therapy researcher raises importance of daily living activities in updated obesity guidelines

“These guidelines address so much that is currently in need of change in the health-care industry,” said Mary Forhan. (Photo: World Obesity Federation)

A University of Alberta researcher is raising awareness of the importance of occupational and physical therapy in bariatric care with the help of new obesity guidelines.

The Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, which were updated by researchers across Canada, are helping clinicians address weight bias in the health-care industry in order to provide the best service possible to patients with obesity.

These guidelines are also the first to include a chapter written entirely by occupational and physical therapists.

“I started working with individuals living with obesity in my occupational therapy practice almost 23 years ago,” said Mary Forhan, chair and associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. “At that time, there were no guidelines that included any reference to participation in day-to-day activities and considerations for occupational or physical therapy interventions.”

Forhan, who contributed to the chapter ‘Enabling participation in activities of daily living for people living with obesity,’ said that this inclusion is a major win for individuals living with obesity.

“Occupational therapists have the ability to conduct assessments that lead to the identification of physical, psychological, emotional and environmental factors, such as undesirable environmental design or social constructs like weight bias, that restrict participation in life roles.

“The chapter that my colleagues and I contributed to these guidelines provides practical considerations to help primary care teams meet the complex needs of their patients. This includes asking patients about what it is like for them to participate in their daily activities, like getting out of bed, getting dressed, bathing, moving about in the community and more.”

With the contribution from occupational and physical therapists in the new guidelines, Forhan believes that physicians will be able to get a better idea of the care requirements of bariatric patients and how their condition affects their everyday lives.

“These guidelines address so much that is currently in need of change in the health-care industry,” she explained. “Weight bias is a major issue that influences the quality of care that patients with obesity receive. Obesity should be viewed as a chronic health condition that requires multidisciplinary approaches that are personalized.”

In order to personalize health care for those who need it, Forhan says the key is to listen.

“Listen to what your patients with obesity are telling you about their experiences and focus on enabling their participation in what they need and want to do throughout their day-to-day life instead of solely focusing on reducing the number on the scale.”

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The Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines were updated on August 4, 2020 for the first time since 2006. The chapter discussed in this article, ‘Enabling participation in activities of daily living for people living with obesity,’ was co-authored by Mary Forhan, associate professor, chair and occupational therapist, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta; Cindy Grand, physical therapist; and Pam Hung, occupational therapist and PhD student in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.