For Patients
Clear, evidence-based information to help you understand and access the tools that can improve your health and well-being.
Obesity is a chronic medical condition, not a personal failure. This site is a place to understand what that means and what your options are, as part of a wider effort to make good obesity care a normal part of the public health system in Nova Scotia, working alongside your own family doctor or nurse practitioner.
Where to Start
A free video course through the foundations of metabolic health, in plain language, lesson by lesson, at your own pace.
Start learning ›Plain-language guides on obesity care, medications, and surgery. Read them online or download a copy to keep.
Browse the guides ›A simple look at how obesity care works in the public system, and where to begin if you would like support.
How care works ›Learn
A guided, evidence-based course that walks you through the foundations of metabolic health — behaviour change, nutrition, medication, and more — in plain language, on your schedule.
Understanding your health is the first step toward lasting change. The course is free and open, with no enrollment and nothing to sign up for.
A growing collection of short, practical videos on nutrition, medication, behaviour change, and surgery — browse by topic.
Browse the library ›Comprehensive obesity care draws on three evidence-based pillars: behaviour change, medical therapy, and metabolic (bariatric) surgery. Effective care often combines more than one.
Patient Guides
Plain-language guides from the Western Zone Obesity Network team, based on the Obesity Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines, the national standard of care. Read them online, or download a copy to keep.
What obesity really is, why weight is so hard to manage, and the full range of treatments — from behaviour change to medication and surgery.
Compare semaglutide, tirzepatide, and other options — how they work, expected weight loss, side effects, dosing, and cost, plus the Click Method appendix.
How bariatric surgery works with your biology, the procedures offered (sleeve and bypass), and what to expect before and after surgery.
Preparing for surgery through nutrition — building healthy eating habits, the bariatric plate, protein priorities, and vitamins for life.
Other Resources
Helpful resources from outside the network for eating well and cooking with confidence, especially alongside medication or after surgery.
Evidence-based nutrition you can actually cook. Free patient-facing recipes, dietary guides, and cooking know-how that turn healthy-eating advice into real meals — the “food as medicine” approach to managing weight and metabolic health.
Hundreds of dietitian-developed recipes you can browse by meal, mood, occasion, and dietary need. Built by Dietitians of Canada and also available as a free app for meal-planning on the go.
Bilingual public site from Dietitians of Canada with recipes plus trusted guides on weight management, diabetes, heart health, and menu planning — and help finding a registered dietitian.
Diabetes-friendly recipes for every meal and dietary need, each listing carbohydrate, sugar, fat, sodium, and calories per serving — helpful for anyone managing blood sugar alongside weight.
Free, searchable recipes from the Government of Canada that follow the national dietary guidelines — a trusted everyday baseline for healthy, balanced eating.
Get Care
Obesity care in Nova Scotia is part of the public health system. There is no private clinic to join and nothing to pay for the medical care itself. Here is the path most people follow.
They are the best place to begin. They know your history, can talk through your options, and can connect you with obesity and metabolic services in the public system when that is the right step. Without a provider, you can still find your options through Nova Scotia Health.
Understanding your options makes any conversation with your care team easier. You can start today, at your own pace.
A registered dietitian can help with everyday eating, and alongside medication or surgery. Ask your provider about a Nova Scotia Health dietitian, which is free and part of public care.
If they fit your situation, these are accessed through your provider and the public system. The guides explain how each one works and what to expect, so you can decide together.
If you would like more support, your family doctor or nurse practitioner can consider a referral to Dr. Mindrum where appropriate — for clinical assessment, treatment guidance, and exploring whether bariatric surgery is right for you.
Resources
Organizations, local programs, talks, and reading to help you understand obesity and find support.
Keep Exploring
There is no rush and nothing to sign up for. Watch a lesson, read a guide, or come back whenever it helps.
Newsletter
Occasional updates on metabolic health, new guides, and clinic news — straight to your inbox.
Get in Touch
Questions about care, the course, or resources? Reach out — we’d love to hear from you.