2021, The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) made a profound impact in our mission to elevate and empower individuals affected by obesity. To capture this, we have put together a 2021 Annual Report that highlights our progress in the key areas we fight: education, advocacy, support and awareness. The report outlines the many ways that our hard work and the dedication of the OAC Community continue to push us closer to our goal, along with how we will build off of this progress in 2022 and beyond.

Click here to view the full report. 

2021 Highlights

Education:

  • In July, the OAC hosted our 10th Annual Your Weight Matters Convention, YWM2021-Virtual, providing science-based education, advocacy and support to more than 2,000 individuals, as we welcomed individuals from all 50 states throughout the U.S. and 48 countries.
  • Our newest educational tool, the OAC Resource Library, was developed as a helpful resource to make all of OAC’s education easy to find in one platform.

Advocacy:

  • In January 2021, we launched our Stop Weight Bias campaign, which aimed to change the way people are treated in the workplace, by their healthcare providers, while in school and at home. The campaign is committed to raising awareness, pushing equality forward and building a better world, free of weight bias, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
  • Throughout the year, the OAC was hard at work fighting for anti-discrimination legislation in Massachusetts to make it unlawful to discriminate based on an individual’s weight. We also made strides in our efforts to expand access to care by securing new support for the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), essential legislation that would expand Medicare’s coverage of obesity treatments, AND we influenced policy by meeting with key decisions makers, offering training on weight bias and presenting at the Global Obesity Forum.

Support:

  • The OAC continued to bring together a community of people living with obesity and their loved ones by offering support resources such as Virtual Support Chats to create a space for individuals to find the connection and motivation they need from the comfort of their own homes, and The OAC Discussion Forum for members to engage in welcoming, informative discussions. 2021 saw continued growth of our voice through membership, with close to 7,500 new members joining!
  • We also continued to deliver engaging content on our monthly OAC TV Broadcast, and looking ahead, we will offer bold topics on the broadcast for discussion with subject matter experts each month.

Awareness:

  • For Obesity Care Week (OCW), the OAC recruited individuals and more than 10 Champion non-profit and health organizations in 70 countries to help change the way we care about obesity through advocacy and education during this international week of action and education.
  • As part of our “It’s Bigger Than Me” Campaign Partnership, our President and CEO, Joe Nadglowski interviewed the campaign’s official spokesperson, Queen Latifah. The interview took a deep dive into Queen Latifah’s connection to obesity and why she felt motivated to represent this critical cause.

But… the Best is Yet to Come

As we move forward in 2022, we are confident we will continue to see significant breakthroughs in how our society cares for people living with obesity. The OAC’s Annual Report showcases the remarkable things we were able to accomplish in 2021 with the help of our community, but the best is yet to come! Together, we can make a better world for those affected by obesity in 2022 and beyond.

How You Can Get Involved

Without your support in 2021, we would not have been able to have to productive year that we did. In 2022, we will need your continued support so we can advance our impactful work. Here are a few ways you can help:

  • Become a part of our OAC Community: Our Community is designed to provide quality education, ongoing support programs, an opportunity to connect, and a place to take action on important issues. Sign up here.
  • Attend Our Upcoming Event, YWM2022-Virtual: Bring your friends and family, too! The event is taking place online on May 14th and 15th. By selecting the FREE registration option, you can participate in a weekend packed with immersive education opportunities and connect with a community in real-time, free of cost. Click here to register.
  • Donate to the OAC: There are a variety of easy ways you can fuel our mission, such as making a monthly contribution or starting a Facebook fundraiser. Click here to learn all the ways you can donate.