Actor Brendan Fraser has received all
sorts of nominations and awards for
his performance in the movie The Whale.
Many of it are calling it
a career comeback for him.
He's great actor already,
but this movie is really been
focused on him and his skills.
He tells the story of an obese
and reclusive teacher who tries
to reconnect with his daughter.
Fraser recently won the Best actor
trophy at the Critics Choice Award.
If you like a guy like Charlie,
who I played in this movie in
any way struggle with obesity
or you just feel like you're in a dark sea,
I want you to know that if you 2
can have the strength to just get
to your feet and go to the light.
Hmm. It's powerful. Yeah. Emotional
speech. We have Doctor Angela Tran,
an obesity expert, joining us to
talk about this movie and the
attention it's bringing to obesity.
Something you're passionate
about because you've been,
you've been in this,
in this field for what, 10 years,
10 years? Oh my gosh.
Congratulations to Brendan Fraser.
I mean, it is a monumental win
because in his speech he says this
is about love and acceptance.
It's time to put people as people first.
And as a medical weight loss doctor,
I just want to educate the public.
Obesity is a disease and that's
really how we should treat it.
Talk about, if you would,
when you talk about obesity of
the disease and and and the light
for people to find their way out,
how much that is internal and how much
is it is external where people around
you or maybe pushing you or hurting
you or making you feel incomplete.
Yeah. Thanks for bringing that up
because again obesity is far beyond
calories in and calories out.
You know I I've done physical training.
With obesity medicine.
And what I find is,
is that there are metabolic barriers
and it's sad that obesity is actually
just a physical manifestation
of an underlying condition.
We finally have found multiple root causes.
So as a doctor you really have
to start on the inside and then
diet and exercise and lifestyle
changes then become much easier.
Yeah. And when we think about this
there are some communities I think
for acceptance is different and
and also let's just be the reality
is the numbers are increasing.
Yes. Yes I mean. I think we just need to
have more compassion because obesity is just
as important of a disease that needs to be
treated equal to diabetes, heart disease,
you know, cholesterol problems.
So I just want to encourage everyone to
just watch the movie and just understand
that it really isn't about laziness.
It is so much far beyond that.
And so if we just again, you know,
teach compassion, I think that we
can end the suffering of this,
you know, terrible disease.
What, have you seen
change in 10 years of studying this?
As far as the the way people see
it as well as the way we treat it,
ohh my gosh it's it's so amazing
because you know in the last year or so
there are new revelation, revolutionary
medications that are actually
targeting the route.
Now it's not just like a quick fix,
it doesn't just control your appetite,
it goes to the right very centric,
we call it insulin resistance.
Essentially that just means insulin
is supposed to metabolize sugar into
energy but it stores it into body fat.
Instead, and both men and
women are suffering from this,
but now we finally have
medical tools to truly treat
it, and that's metabolic. We're also,
I think, in the film also talking the
psychological and the the very human
components that are at play as well.
Yes. And, you know, with my medical practice,
I do have a team of registered dietitians,
you know, fitness trainers and
accountability, health coaches,
you know, all under medical supervision.
It's just important because there's
so many facets to this disease.
Absolutely. We need to really reeducate.
You know how to eat healthy,
how to have the right lifestyle
and have the right mindset.
Wow. Well, there's
so much that you've touched on,
and hopefully this gives some people
some hope and they've paid attention.
And maybe watch the movie and like you said,
see the light and seek the help that they
might need anyone because it's a disease.
I would, yeah, I would argue that we have,
you know, newer research that can,
you know, help patients even avoid surgery.
And you're right, it it, there is hope.
But there's still so much that we
need to learn about this. Well,
thank you very much for joining
us today, Doctor Angela, truly helpful.