Company\Resources\Ep. 26 | Embracing the Complexity of Comprehensive Obesity Care

Ep. 26 | Embracing the Complexity of Comprehensive Obesity Care

in-the-know-with-nina

podcast

Episode Summary

In this empowering episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley welcomes Karli Burridge, nationally recognized obesity expert and founder of Gaining Health. Karli introduces the MEANS model, a patient-centered framework designed to elevate how providers approach obesity treatment. With MEANS—Medication, Eating, Activity, Needs, and Support—clinicians can move beyond generic plans to truly personalized care.

Karli discusses how patients living with obesity often face systemic challenges, misinformation, and internalized shame. The MEANS model helps reframe care through empathy, collaboration, and practical tools, while offering structure that’s adaptable to each patient’s lived experience. The episode also emphasizes access—ensuring that individuals not only receive evidence-based treatment, but also feel seen, heard, and supported along the way.

Key Takeaways

The MEANS model supports a holistic, patient-centered approach to obesity care.
Access and empowerment are central to achieving equity in obesity treatment.
Providers should ask, not assume—meeting patients where they are and involving them in decision-making.
Obesity care must combine lifestyle, medication, and behavioral support for long-term success.
Shame and stigma are barriers to care that must be actively dismantled in clinical conversations.
The goal is to foster trust, autonomy, and collaboration, helping patients take ownership of their health journey.

About Karli Burridge, PA-C, MMS, FOMA

Karli Burridge is a board-certified physician associate and the founder of Gaining Health, a platform that provides tools, training, and support for clinicians delivering obesity care. She is a national leader in obesity medicine, co-author of the MEANS model, and an advocate for improved access and quality in treating obesity. Karli serves on the boards of the Obesity Action Coalition and the Illinois Obesity Society and is dedicated to educating providers and empowering patients through evidence-based, stigma-free care.