The first year of the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Obesity Initiative aims to reduce the rising incidence, severity and cost of obesity and obesity-related disease by:

• Increasing access to health promotion and prevention initiatives for adults, children and
• at-risk populations.
• Expanding obesity-related training for health care providers within AHS and across primary and community care.
• Using current evidence in the management of obesity.
• Expanding the number and capacity of specialty teams for bariatric (obesity) care across the province.
• Improving access to bariatric surgery.

Obesity is a complex issue; one that cannot be tackled by health care alone. Many communities, organizations, schools, agencies and private companies are already doing significant work to support healthy choices and healthy lifestyles. AHS is expanding programming across Alberta to support healthy communities and individuals. Some of the early initiatives include:

Primary care
The Alberta Obesity Initiative will invest considerable resources in raising capacity and expertise within primary care to screen patients for obesity and associated chronic diseases; provide primary prevention and early intervention services to patients with or at risk for obesity; offer diagnostic and treatment services to children and adults; support patients through treatment and self-management; evaluate patients for referral to secondary and tertiary care services; and deliver ongoing, follow-up care after secondary/tertiary treatment.

Provincial specialty care centres
Patients needing specialized care due to the severity and complexity of their condition will qualify for intensive medical management at one of five Provincial Specialty Care Centres. This will mean an expansion of services in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary and Medicine Hat, and the creation of a new centre in Grande Prairie. These centres will see about 1,500 new patients in 2011-2012.

Secondary bariatric care
AHS will invest in building knowledge, skills and expertise within secondary care. This work will introduce more intensive interventions for patients whose care cannot be met in primary care, and potentially reduce the number of patients who require a higher level of care, including surgery.
Investment will be made in:

• Development of standardized diagnostic, treatment protocols and referral pathways for adult and pediatric specialty care.
• Development and training of specialty care practitioners and teams.
• Equipment, infrastructure and resources to support secondary adult and pediatric care.
• Establishment of performance indicators and tracking measures.
• Establishment and measurement of outcomes related to clinical, psychosocial and economic barriers.

Tertiary care (bariatric surgery)
Tertiary care is intended for patients with severe obesity. About 4.5 per cent of Alberta’s 200,000 obese residents, or about 90,000 Albertans, have obesity severe enough to quality for bariatric surgery. In 2009, Alberta provided surgery to 0.4 per cent (261 people) of this population.
The AHS Obesity Initiative aims to significantly increase surgical capacity by its fifth year.

Thr!ve on Wellness
Thrive on Wellness is a joint initiative from AHS and the Alberta Cancer Foundation. The goal is to support communities in promoting active living and healthy eating in an effort to reduce cancer and chronic disease in Alberta. The program aims to reach 100 -150 communities across Alberta.

Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it! (MEND)
Introduced in Great Britain in 2001, MEND is a community- and family-based obesity prevention and weight management program for overweight and obese children between the ages of seven and 13. MEND also offers a prevention program aimed at two to four year olds, as well as five to seven year olds, and their families. AHS is launching a three-year project to adapt and pilot MEND in up to eight sites across the province. 

Healthy Food Policy in Alberta Health Services
The Healthy Eating Environment Policy was officially launched at the June meeting of the AHS Board. The policy will increase healthy food and beverage options available in AHS facilities. The goal is to promote health and wellness in AHS facilities to support chronic disease management and prevention.

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