Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Katherine Saunders at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit.

Dr. Saunders is an obesity medicine specialist and recent entrepreneur, cofounding Intellihealth with the physician who inspired her to pursue this specialty.  Ten years ago, obesity was recognized as a chronic condition.  Yet only 2% of the staggering 74% of overweight or obese Americans seek treatment.  Katherine provides a brief pathophysiology lesson to dispel the all-too-common myth that obesity is just a lifestyle problem.  Treatments do exist and Katherine is focused on democratizing care.  She is excited about the new, safe, and effective drugs that are receiving a lot of press recently but recognizes these simply cost too much for most.  She looks forward to the many new medication options that are in the pipeline.

As WBL members, we know to always ask “How can I help you?”  So, I did!  To this, Katherine responded:

• Help combat the bias surrounding obesity. Know that it is a complex, chronic condition with effective treatments.
• And she would love to speak with interested investors as well as employer groups.