Tampa, Fla. – The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is proud to announce that it has awarded 16 scholarships for individuals to attend the 2016 Your Weight Matters National Convention thanks to the generosity of its members. For 2016, the OAC set a goal to award 10 Convention Scholarships from the Convention Scholarship Fund which it achieved this past spring; however, thanks to the generosity of public gifts, the OAC was able to award six additional Convention Scholarships!

This year, the OAC received more than 100 Convention Scholarship applications resulting in more than $125,000 in requested funds. “The Convention Scholarship Program is a perfect example of how we, the OAC, are directly impacting people’s lives. We recognize that there is an underserved population out there that desperately needs access to evidence-based education on weight and health. The fund exists for one reason – to help people, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Michelle Vicari, OAC National Board Member and Convention Planning Committee Chair.

The Convention Scholarship Program is funded by the OAC’s Convention Scholarship Fund, an ongoing designated fund within the OAC, designed to bring high-quality education to underserved individuals actively seeking the right information on obesity, weight and health. The fund is exclusively supported by the generosity of public donations and makes it possible for individuals to attend the Your Weight Matters National Convention who may not have the means otherwise to take part.

“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, this is a benchmark year for the Convention Scholarship Fund. Throughout the past three years, we’ve awarded more than 30 scholarships to individuals throughout the U.S. so they could experience the unparalleled education at the OAC’s National Convention. With the public’s support, we hope to award even more next year,” said Joe Nadglowski, OAC President and CEO.

The OAC will continue to build the Convention Scholarship Fund to ensure that all future applicants have the opportunity to attend the Annual Meeting. To learn more about the OAC’s Convention Scholarship Fund or make a charitable donation, please visit www.ObesityAction.org/scholarshipfund.

Hosted at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, the 2016 Your Weight Matters National Convention, set for August 25-28 in Washington, DC, promises to deliver engaging evidence-based education on a variety of topics such as weight, health, nutrition, advocacy, exercise and much more! Registration is still open for this year’s meeting with single-day registration starting at just $40 ($65 with CE credits). Convention registrants have the option to add-on a donation to their own registrations to benefit the Convention Scholarship Fund and pay-it-forward. For more information on this year’s Annual Convention, please visit www.YWMConvention.com.

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), a more than 52,000 member-strong National nonprofit organization, is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals affected by the disease of obesity through education, advocacy and support. To learn more about the OAC, please visit www.ObesityAction.org.