About us

Priti Chawla Karunakaran is a visionary, research-driven business leader, community builder, and strategist who is advancing an advocacy platform for people living with obesity and mobilizing the quality of care they receive.

Having seen weight bias and discrimination play out in her own life, Priti understands the delicate psyche of those who are struggling with body image issues and experiencing obesity stigma. She learned that fad diets do not work, that weight management is not about merely having the willpower to avoid high-caloric foods, and, most importantly, that her self-worth is not determined by the number on a scale.

With Obesity Matters, Priti hopes to redefine obesity through the lens of empathy and compassion, shifting to a positive narrative, and helping more people live their best lives. She is making a difference in the world.

Sandra Elia is a Certified Food Addiction Counselor. She runs Ontario’s outpatient Food Addiction Recovery Program and co-created Canada’s first residential treatment program.

Sandra is a Coaches Training Institute (CTI) Certified Professional Coach.

Sandra is dedicated to changing the conversation for obesity so that anyone living with obesity has access to treatment that is steeped with dignity, respect, and understanding. Sandra knows firsthand the challenges associated with living with obesity. She has lived two lives: one as a morbidly obese woman for 15 years. She experienced a world that was not made for her size, seeking assistance from biased healthcare providers, and dealing with fat-shaming. Since those difficult days, Sandra has transformed her life, losing over 100 pounds and keeping the weight off for 15 years. Obesity is not simply about body weight or body image. It’s about human vulnerability. Behind every obesity statistic, is a real person living with physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

Rachel’s career is based on a strong aptitude and passion for strategy. For more than 20 years, she’s delivered solutions to drive large-scale business transformation. Now, she is keen to leverage those experiences and exposures to transform communities, institutions and society to better the lives of Canadians living in larger bodies. As someone who has struggled with weight management her whole life, she was fortunate to find a welcoming community, gain access to evidence-based information and tap into the care she deserves. She found her voice and is comfortable advocating for herself and passionate about advocating for others. Her vision and hope for our future: we no longer live in a world with overweight, fat or obese people, but rather, there are just people, living happy and healthy lives.

Rosemarie (Rosie) Childerhose is a passionate weight management and obesity advocate. From an early age she became aware of the often complicated and abusive relationship between one’s body and society observing her mother’s failure to lose weight despite  consulting with multiple doctors, nutritionists and trying every diet that promised a slimmer “after” the diet was completed. The inability to manage a healthy weight and the yo yo diets caused her mother’s mental and physical health to deteriorate until she experienced diabetes complications and died after a second stroke. Rosie is very conscious of the burden food and weight can have on people’s psyche and the negative impacts on people’s health. She is on a mission of body positivity where people have the support and resources they need to live their healthiest and happiest lives.

Andrew Locker is an Ontario Certified Teacher, Former Elementary School Principal, and Ontario Public Servant.  Currently, he is a Director with the Field Services Branch, Central Region, at the Ontario Ministry of Education.  

Andrew’s journey with weight, body image, and obesity started in childhood and has continued through adolescence and adulthood.  As someone who moves through the world in a larger body, Andrew is mindful and aware of weight discrimination, bias, and shame.  He has sought to be an advocate within the community for respectful, empowering, and truly inclusive approaches to managing health and well-being in the context of each person’s lived experience with weight.  

Andrew has undergone several transformational and momentous experiences with his own weight loss, and gain, and continues to acknowledge all of the complexities and facets of body size and its interconnection to holistic health and wellness.  He aspires to, and seeks to provide agency and voice, to those living in larger bodies to promote, develop, and sustain a truly inclusive community that honours, respects, and embraces all regardless of one’s size or shape.  Andrew looks forward to engaging in the conversation and community building that is offered through Obesity Matters in support of health and well-being for our diverse community.

Dr. Gillian Mandich is an award-winning, internationally recognized happiness researcher, speaker, educator, and author. With a PhD from Western University in Health Science, Dr. Gillian’s primary areas of research are happiness and health. She is the founder of The International Happiness Institute of Health Science Research; Research Associate at The World Database of Happiness, based out of Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands; co-lead investigator of The CanadianHappiness At Work Study; and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by The Women’s Executive Network.

As a prominent media personality, Dr. Gillian has appeared on The Social, Marilyn Denis, Breakfast Television, The Morning Show, Global, ABC News Philadelphia, WWL New Orleans, and CBS Pittsburgh. She is a top-rated keynote speaker and has given two TEDx talks

Lisa Machado was a financial journalist when a diagnosis of a rare blood cancer turned her attention to patient advocacy and raising awareness of the importance of lived experience. In 2014, she founded the Canadian CML Network and wrote an award-winning book, Living Well with CML.  

“One of my favourite things is crafting stories to make a positive impact, especially when it comes to health and wellbeing. Obesity Matters has embarked on a journey to change the dialogue around the disease of obesity — a task that has already changed the lives of so many patients and the people who love them. I can’t pass up the opportunity to help amplify these voices and have a front row seat to witness such positivity.” – Lisa Machado

Healthcare Innovator by day, strategizer by night. Neda strives to make healthcare more accessible, equitable and affordable.

Neda Nasseri is a pharmacist with experience in both community pharmacy and in the pharma industry.  Currently, she works in the private payor sector, at Desjardins Insurance, as their Product director for Drugs and Health Benefits.

Neda has always been very passionate about learning. She earned her Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a Masters in Business Administration. She also specialized in Marketing and Ethics.

Neda is dedicated to bringing about a paradigm shift in obesity to increase access to treatment and therapy. Following many years of fertility treatment, Neda struggled with her weight and self-image. Empowering others to reach their health and wellness goals through improved access and education is what keeps her engaged everyday! Let’s work together to make a healthier tomorrow!

Passionate about government affairs, Patrick has vast expertise in the analysis of issues in the health sector. He is fluent in the development of particularly effective strategic plans to meet the needs of patients while considering the impact on government decision makers. He is results-oriented and is recognized for his ability to develop innovative solutions, with a win-win approach for all the partners involved.

For more than 15 years, he has held high-level positions on a national level in various innovative companies,  always in connection with maximizing patient access to emerging technologies. He is currently Vice-president at TACT Intelligence-Conseil, a Quebec-based public relations and government affairs consulting firm, where he leads the health and life sciences sector. His knowledge and skills touch both primary and specialized care fields, with demonstrated skill in negotiating and establishing fast and optimal reimbursement of drugs and services in the public and private sectors, both in Quebec and in the rest of Canada.

Patrick is a graduate of McGill University in geological and environmental sciences. He also completed a mini-MBA program at the Desautels Faculty of Management. He is involved in his community, serving for 5 years as vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Tribut Triathlon, a non-profit organization promoting triathlon and healthy lifestyles.

“I have had a lifelong challenge with obesity, and it continues to be a daily battle. I want to contribute my expertise and my passion to assist all people living with obesity to get better access treatments and to change how society looks at obesity.”  – Patrick Manfred

Dr. Florencia Ziemke has years of clinical and research experience in the field of Nutrition and Obesity Medicine. She completed her internal medicine residency, clinical nutrition fellowship, and clinical research focusing on pharmacotherapy in Boston Massachusetts. She has worked at top national centers including Boston Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and has been affiliated with Boston University, Tufts Medical School and Harvard Medical School. In addition to her board certification in Internal Medicine, she is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, active member of The Obesity Society and Obesity Medicine Association. She is a Committee member of the TOS Communications & Network Advisory committee and on the Editorial board for Obesity Pillars. She is the founder and currently chief executive officer of Evexia Medical in Palm Beach County, Florida. She is a passionate nutrition, health and wellness advocate.

Why OM:

OM is an organization whose vision and mission is not just a number on the scale, not just a checkbox to meet a task. Rather, their focus is on a whole: a notion that education and evidence-based medicine empowers,  a sense that a community is as strong as its members, a concept that change takes a village, and an understanding that those affected by obesity deserve a safe, judgement-free space.  Over the past almost 2 decades in the field of Nutrition and Obesity Medicine, few have I seen maintain these pillars.

People don’t fail, treatments do, and Obesity Matters creates the environment that embraces, supports and advocates for this too often misunderstood complex disease of obesity: From Motivational Monday to Fashion Friday, to Rachel’s corner, educational workshops, their full spectrum of resources and innovative approach of delivering the sense of community is why I am honored to contribute to Obesity Matters.

Jennifer is a Registered Dietitian and Personal Development and Wellness Coach based out of Ontario, Canada.  She studied nutrition at Ryerson University, where she received her Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition, followed by completing her Dietetic Internship with Aramark Canada.  After a successful career in a variety of executive leadership roles in the Foodservice Industry, she moved into Corporate Sustainability and Wellness Leadership with Compass Group, the world leader in contract food management.  Coaching has always been a passion for Jennifer, and she now focuses her time helping people achieve results and to live a life of fulfillment and potential.  She has a non-diet philosophy, and incorporates mindfulness and accountability as part of her practice.  Jennifer is in certification with the Co-Active Training Institute, and is also a MB-EAT Practitioner.

Why OM:

It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of Obesity Matters, an organization anchored with such a strong vision and clear values at its core.  OM sees its community as people living with this disease, not patients.  Focus is on the whole person – heart, mind, body and spirit, and a belief that everyone is capable and deserving of a life that is healthy and fulfilled.  It’s not about ‘do this, don’t do that’ or ‘eat this, don’t eat that’ because each person is unique, special, and so very important!  This is what resonates so strongly with me, and why I am so moved to be part of the OM movement!

Nadja is a passionate Health Promoter that has dedicated her work to obesity prevention and appropriate treatment. Prior to moving to Canada she worked for the Swiss Childhood Obesity Association, where she developed a new integrated healthcare model for early intervention of childhood obesity, designed educational courses for professionals, advocated for obesity to be recognized as a chronic disease and coached children and youth with overweight and obesity during dedicated sport camps. In her work she adopted a holistic perspective on health, recognizing the complexity of the various factors causing chronic disease and the importance to involve individuals affected by obesity as a person along the way.

Nadja is a compassionate advocate striving for inclusive communities and equitable access to care. She is determined to end stigmatization and weight bias and to support people living with obesity to receive the respect and care they deserve.