July 29th, 2020 |  |
As August rolls in, the OAC has been inspired to reflect on this fast-changing year. None of us expected 2020 to look the way it has, but there have been many opportunities in disguise! Not only has today's climate challenged us to transform our Your Weight Matters Convention into an incredible virtual experience, but we've also been able to connect deeper with the needs of our community during this time. Behind the scenes, this has motivated OAC to develop new resources and champion more efforts to serve you better. We even developed a new OAC Video Studio in order to bring quality education, support, and opportunities in a fresh new format to reach more people! As we press on together, we encourage you to continue walking with the OAC, especially with so many things in store on the horizon.
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 | SHARE YOUR STORY TO HELP OTHERS THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WEIGHT Our stories are the most powerful way to reduce obesity stigma and help others think differently about weight. The OAC challenges you to share a personal experience or perspective to help humanize obesity and increase awareness. We've made it easy to do with a dedicated platform. SHARE NOW!
|  | CHALLENGE POLICYMAKERS TO EXPAND OBESITY CARE IN LIGHT OF COVID-19 The connection between obesity and COVID-19 severity is growing clearer, and now is a crucial time to expand access to care for people affected by obesity. The OAC currently has two things you can do to help, both on the national and local levels. CLICK HERE to visit the OAC Action Center and take action!
| | YOUR SUPPORT HELPS OAC BRING QUALITY EDUCATION TO OTHERS Coming off the heels of our first virtual Convention, the need for science-based obesity education and weight management strategies has never been more evident. However, OAC relies on your financial support to make this possible. From $5 to $50 or more, every bit of help goes a long way. If education and awareness are important to you, PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING! |  | | |  | LOOKING BACK AT YWM2020-VIRTUAL: REDEFINING EDUCATION, ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT The OAC reflects on an incredible YWM2020-VIRTUAL and the chance it gave us to bring quality education, advocacy and support to thousands. Little did we know it beforehand, but YWM2020-VIRTUAL redefined these core parts of our mission. READ MORE
|  | MICROSOFT'S BING SEARCH ENGINE REMOVES STIGMATIZING CHILDHOOD OBESITY IMAGE After Microsoft's Bing Search Engine drew attention for a stigmatizing image representing childhood obesity, OAC wrote a letter that educated about weight bias and encouraged the graphic to be removed. Fortunately, we received a positive response! READ MORE
|  | OAC PARTNERS WITH SOPHIA PROJECT TO IMPROVE OBESITY UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT The Obesity Action Coalition partners with the SOPHIA project, a five-year initiative aiming to improve obesity care and treatment by understanding which treatments are best suited to which patients and why. READ MORE
|  | OAC EDUCATES ON WEIGHT STIGMA AND COVID-19 DURING MASSACHUSETTS ADVOCACY GROUP WEBINAR The OAC joined the the Massachusetts Coalition for Action on Obesity in a webinar to talk about the impact of weight stigma on patients with obesity during COVID-19. Patients may be less likely to seek healthcare if they are afraid of being stigmatized in a medical setting. READ MORE | |  |  | Nearly all of us can relate to having different relationships with our body at different stages with our weight. In a personal reflection she decided to share openly, OAC member Anita Saah talks about embracing the positive in herself and her body. Her words are a great reminder that self-compassion and self-appreciation have an important role in our journeys. READ MORE | | SPEAK YOUR TRUTH TO HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND: A CALL TO ACTION It might be out of your comfort zone, but this blog post will challenge you to consider sharing your personal experiences with weight. When we speak up, it can encourage others to see things differently and bring real awareness to obesity. READ MORE |  | | |  | USING TWITTER TO SPEAK UP We spotted OAC member Donna Leitzel (Colombus, Ohio) using Twitter this month to call out weight bias! Donna can often be found sharing OAC's message and responding to news stories about People-First language. Thank you for taking #OACAction! | | | FAST FACTS: COVID-19, FOOD SYSTEMS, AND OBESITY Our partners at STOP (Strategies to Overcome and Prevent) Obesity Alliance developed a fact sheet to show the connections between obesity, food security and the COVID-19 pandemic. LEARN MORE
| OAA (OSTEOARTHRITIS ACTION ALLIANCE) SURVEY: NUTRITIONAL INTERESTS AMONG PEOPLE WITH OA Did you know that your weight can impact joint pain? If you have knee or hip pain, you may be able to help researchers understand what people with arthritis want to know from their doctors about weight management and nutrition strategies to reduce joint pain. LEARN MORE | | | | | | |
