The OAC has dedicated June to sharing the power of the personal story, and last week we shared a thought-provoking video by OAC member Rob Portinga.

This week, we want to highlight a story from OAC member Tonya Ham in Cassadaga, New York. Tonya’s story is a great example of the roles that mental health and life events have in our experiences with weight. This message is important because it calls attention to all the different factors that can influence obesity, contributing to it being such a complex disease.

Finding Life after Death

Tonya submitted her story to Weight of the World, OAC’s special story-sharing video platform for amplifying voices and offering support.

In her video, Tonya talks about her painful journey with losing her husband and facing the depression that followed after. Her story illustrates some important points about living with obesity and ways to support someone who is struggling:

  • Battling mental health and coping with trauma can have an impact on weight
  • Obesity can significantly impact quality of life and health
  • Understanding and support are invaluable to have
  • Bariatric surgery can be an effective and life-changing tool
  • Self-care can take many forms, including weight-loss

Tonya’s video is important because she uses it to express herself and her experiences, show the power of self-care, and offer hope to others struggling with trauma.

Share Your Story

Do you have an interest in sharing your story? The OAC needs more videos like Tonya’s in our Weight of the World Video Library to help humanize obesity, increase awareness and offer support.