On Saturday, July 11th, the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) kicked-off its first event of YWM2020-VIRTUAL with record-breaking participation! Saturday’s event was truly one for the books, as it was the first time OAC’s Annual Your Weight Matters Convention has ever been offered on a virtual platform.
Highlights from the first event:
- Nearly 2,000 registered attendees
- 437,000 social media impressions
- Representation from 29 countries
YWM2020-VIRTUAL Day 1 Recap
Session 1: Thinking Differently about Your Weight
Presented by Scott Kahan, MD, MPH
Session 1 set the stage as Dr. Scott Kahan challenged us to re-think everything we’ve been told about weight and health. We’ve all heard the same messages for a lifetime: Eat less, move more, try harder. They simplify weight and leave us frustrated and ashamed if we don’t get the results we hope for.
In his session, Dr. Kahan showed us how complex weight really is. He walked us through the science which reveals there are many different factors involved in our weight: genetics, biology, physiology, environment, behaviors and more. Dr. Kahan then walked attendees through different tools available to help treat obesity and manage our weight.
Session 2: The Roller Coaster of Life – Major Events and Personal Factors that Impact Weight
Presented by Robert Kushner, MD
To understand obesity and relationships with weight, we have to consider the whole course of a person’s life. That’s what Dr. Kushner taught us in Session 2. Life events such as marriage, career changes and health complications shape our weight history. Stress and stressors have biological effects that can be hard to control, and personal factors affect how we respond.
Dr. Kushner encouraged attendees to look at their own weight history and try to understand all the different factors involved. His session was another reminder that narrow thinking about weight doesn’t work, and a personal approach to weight management is important.