Breakthrough MedTech Founders: Elina Onitskansky

Description

Obesity is one of the most complex and misunderstood chronic conditions in the world, affecting more than 60% of adults globally and 75% in the U.S. Yet, despite its prevalence, care systems continue to underdeliver, relying on one-size-fits-all advice, outdated stigma, and underutilized data.

In this episode of Inside MedTech Innovation, Elina Onitskansky, founder and CEO of Ilant Health, joins Shannon Lantzy to challenge the status quo. Ilant’s model integrates behavioral science, AI, human coaching, and comprehensive care pathways, from bariatric surgery to anti-obesity medications, to deliver truly personalized obesity care at scale.

Elina shares:

Why obesity care has been treated differently from other chronic conditions and how stigma, bias, and lack of physician training keep it that way
How evidence-based personalization can replace decades of fad diets and miracle cures
Why “pizza night” matters: the importance of designing care that fits real lives
The role of employers, health plans, and policy in making equitable obesity treatment available to all

Timestamps:

00:00 – Should we treat all patients with obesity the same?

01:00 – Shannon’s personal connection to the topic

02:46 – How Ilant Health blends AI, behavioral science, and human coaching

04:36 – Why personalization matters in obesity treatment

06:00 – The impact of stigma and bias in clinical care

07:22 – Elina’s personal and professional journey into obesity care

10:42 – From fad diets to evidence-based solutions

13:50 – Designing treatment that fits patients’ real lives

17:00 – Rethinking how medications are labeled and prescribed

20:18 – The role of patient preferences in regulatory decisions

22:25 – Why obesity should be coded with greater granularity