Katrina Cachero recently finished her Masters of Science in Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba with a focus on adults living with obesity and non-surgical weight loss programs. Katrina has experience in nutrition research focusing on obesity management with an interdisciplinary approach. Katrina currently practices as a Registered Dietitian at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba where she cares for critically ill patients.
Obesity is a global health problem requiring evidence-based solutions. Many weight loss programs have been created to combat the obesity epidemic. However, in Manitoba, there are few evidence-based programs for individuals living with overweight or obesity. Thus, the Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital created a personalized program based on a behavioural lifestyle modification approach, known as the weight loss clinic (WLC). Given the gap in evidence-based, professionally delivered clinical weight loss services in Canada, an evaluation of the WLC at the Wellness Institute was conducted. The program is 17 weeks in duration and is delivered by an interdisciplinary team (physician-oversight, registered dietitian, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP)-certified personal trainer, and a cognitive behavioural therapist). The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions impacted the in-person delivery of the program and required unplanned transitions to virtual delivery. This resulted in a greater % body weight and body fat loss in participants who completed the program before COVID-19 compared to those who completed during the pandemic.