From September 18 to 20, the world’s leading thinkers will gather in New York City for The Atlantic Festival, a celebration of journalism, ideas, and culture. Among the pressing issues on the agenda: the future of healthcare and how we think about obesity.

The Obesity Action Coalition is proud to see two of our leaders, Vice President & COO James Zervios and clinical psychologist Dr. Robyn Pashby, featured in a session moderated by Dr. Erica Taylor, the vice president and chief marketing officer at Genentech, that challenges long-standing myths about weight. 

For decades, obesity has been framed as a matter of willpower. But research tells a different story: brain circuitry, hunger signals, and stress responses all play critical roles in shaping weight. These biological alarm systems evolved to protect us from starvation, but often work against us in today’s world.

James and Dr. Pashby will help bring this science to the stage, reframing obesity as the chronic disease it truly is and shedding light on why stigma and oversimplification hinder progress.

We’re grateful to The Atlantic for spotlighting this essential conversation. Follow along using #TAF25 and join us in shifting the narrative from stigma to science.