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The post Trying to lose weight? Ethnicity might matter — and the differences point to a larger issue, study says appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

��Lack of coverage for obesity medications for some groups is systemic discrimination, says prof

TORONTO, May 14, 2025 –��A new study led by 91��ɫ looking at the health data of nearly 15,000 people enrolled in a medically supervised weight-loss program found disparities among ethnic and sub-ethnic groups in how much weight they lost. Lead author, 91��ɫ Faculty of Health Professor��,��says the results show that the very broad ethnic categories typically examined in clinical settings may mask differences in sub-ethnic groups. Further, she says the findings suggest the need for understanding how socio-economic issues may come into play to better support Black, Middle Eastern, Latin and South Asian communities with their weight-loss.��

The study found that the white ethnic group had the greatest weight loss, with Black, South Asian, Latin, and Middle Eastern adults having significantly less weight loss. Indigenous, East Asian, and other ethnic groups did not differ in the amount of weight loss compared to the white group. 

“We found that the ethnicities that lost the least amount of weight are also the ethnicities that tend to have the highest risk for obesity. So those that have the greatest need are seeing the least effectiveness from the treatment they're getting, which is something that we need to unpack and figure out why that’s happening,” says Kuk.

For , published in the journal Clinical Obesity, Kuk worked with longtime research collaborator Dr. Sean Wharton and examined data for patients enrolled in weight management programs through Wharton Medical Clinics across Southern Ontario. 91��ɫ School of Kinesiology and Health Science PhD student Parmis Mirzadeh also contributed to the study. 

They found there were also differences when looking at sub-ethnic categories. For example, while Black patients overall lost less weight than other racial groups in the program, there were significant differences in weight loss for African Americans and Blacks of direct African descent. 

Despite losing less weight, Black and other non-white patients were also more likely than white patients to be prescribed older obesity medications. While the study was completed before weight loss drug Wegovy was available on the market, Ozempic, a diabetes drug that is commonly used off-label for weight loss and is often covered by insurance plans, did not have differences in prescription rates. Kuk says one limitation of this study is that they did not know whether patients filled the prescriptions or how long they took the medications for.

“Obesity medications are rarely covered. And so when you compound that with the fact that ethnic minorities tend to make less money, are less likely to have private insurance, overall, it's adding another financial burden to a population that's already marginalized,” says Dr. Wharton. 

“The fact that certain populations can't access newer, more expensive medications at the cost of their health is systemic discrimination,” adds Kuk. 

Obesity is a condition that has been linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, some forms of cancer, joint pain, liver conditions, and can have impacts on the immune system, respiratory disease and cognitive function. In Canada, 30 per cent of the adult population is classified as having obesity, with some ethnic groups at a higher risk. 

“Because of the stigma associated with obesity, it's always seen to be the fault of the individual, as opposed to a result of many complex structural issues that result in certain people being at higher risk, and then also perhaps results in those same people not being able to get the treatment that they need,” says Kuk. 

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91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future. 

Media Contact: 

Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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91��ɫ U study could change the way we think about obesity and health

TORONTO, July 12, 2018 — Researchers at 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health have found that patients who have metabolic healthy obesity, but no other metabolic risk factors, do not have an increased rate of mortality.

The results of this study could impact how we think about obesity and health, says , associate professor at the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, who led the research team at 91��ɫ.

“This is in contrast with most of the literature and we think this is because most studies have defined metabolic healthy obesity as having up to one metabolic risk factor,” says Kuk.

“This is clearly problematic, as hypertension alone increases your mortality risk and past literature would have called these patients with obesity and hypertension, ‘healthy’.�� This is likely why most studies have reported that 'healthy' obesity is still related with higher mortality risk.”

Kuk’s study showed that unlike dyslipidemia, hypertension or diabetes alone, which are related with a high mortality risk, this isn’t the case for obesity alone.

The study followed 54,089 men and women from five cohort studies who were categorized as having obesity alone��or clustered with a metabolic factor, or elevated glucose, blood pressure or lipids alone or clustered with obesity or another metabolic factor. Researchers��looked at how many people within each group died as compared to those within the normal weight population with no metabolic risk factors.

Current weight management guidelines suggest that anyone with a BMI over 30 kg/m² should lose weight. This implies that if you have obesity, even without any other risk factors, it makes you unhealthy. Researchers found that 1 out of 20 individuals with obesity had no other metabolic abnormalities.

“We’re showing that individuals with metabolically healthy obesity are actually not at an elevated mortality rate. We found that a person of normal weight with no other metabolic risk factors is just as likely to die as the person with obesity and no other risk factors,” says Kuk. “This means that hundreds of thousands of people in North America alone with metabolically healthy obesity will be told to lose weight when it’s questionable how much benefit they’ll actually receive.”

The study, “Individuals with obesity but no other metabolic risk factors are not at significantly elevated all-cause mortality risk in men and women” is published today in .

Media Contact: Anjum Nayyar, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 44543��anayyar@yorku.ca

NOTE:�� The 91��ɫ U media studio is available for double-ended broadcast interviews.

91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

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91��ɫ U research shows you can't judge a person's fitness by weight alone

��TORONTO, February 12, 2018 — Can you be fit and healthy even if you’re overweight? That’s the question researchers at 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health set out to answer in a new study that shows physical activity may be equally and perhaps even more important than weight for people living with severe obesity.

According to the recent study, led by Jennifer Kuk, associate professor in 91��ɫ’s School of Kinesiology and Health Science, and collaborator Dr. Sean Wharton, MD, medical director of the Wharton Medical Clinic and adjunct professor at 91��ɫ, individuals with severe obesity who are fit have a similar health profile to those who weigh significantly less than them. The goal of the study was to look at the benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness on cardiovascular health in populations with mild to severe obesity.

The results suggest individuals with even severe obesity, or a BMI greater than 40, can be fit and healthy.

“Obesity is only related with worse health in individuals who were unfit,” says Kuk. “We know that once you get beyond a BMI of 40, the risk of cardiovascular conditions increases exponentially so this study shows that having a high fitness level is still beneficial and it really reinforces the importance of fitness.”

Kuk says doing 150 minutes of exercise per week, as per physical activity guidelines, generally translates to less than half pound of weight loss. Nevertheless, this amount of exercise can mean dramatic improvements in health for those with severe obesity.

“You really have to disconnect the body weight from the importance of fitness,” says Kuk. “You can get fit without losing weight and have health benefits.”

Data was gathered from 853 Canadian patients attending Wharton Medical weight management clinics in Southern Ontario.�� Individuals completed a clinical exam which included fasting blood measures and a maximal treadmill stress test.

The amount of fitness necessary to achieve health benefits was far less than what most individuals would think. The research showed that the greatest health benefits come from avoiding the lowest 20 per cent of fitness levels. This means that 80 per cent of people are fit enough to get health benefits.

In this study, 41% of participants with mild obesity had high fitness levels, while 25 per cent and 11 per cent of the participants with moderate and severe obesity, respectively, had high fitness.�� Individuals with severe obesity were more likely to have high blood pressure, glucose, and triglycerides if they were in the lowest 20 per cent of fitness levels, but were not more likely to have these issues if they were in the 80 per cent group. Earlier research has shown that much less physical activity is required to improve health than is needed to lose weight.�� However, this is some of the first research suggesting that physical activity may be more important for people living with severe obesity.

“In my practice, I see many patients who are looking for different results,” says Wharton. “There are some patients that want to significantly improve their health and others that are only looking for an aesthetic goal. When it comes to health, this study reinforces the notion that people don’t need to lose weight to be healthy.”

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded study, Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic risk factors in a population with mild to severe obesity was recently published in

Media contact: Anjum Nayyar, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 44543��anayyar@yorku.ca

����champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.�� 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

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