Spotlight On: Obesity Action Coalition

When Kristal Hartman was in her thirties, her endocrinologist suggested bariatric surgery to treat her obesity. Hartman’s primary care physician, however, was resistant to the idea.

“She told me I was young and well educated and should be able to fix this myself,” Hartman, now 46, recalls. “She couldn’t believe I was considering weight loss surgery even though I was what was considered ‘morbidly obese’ at the time [now known as class 3 obesity].”

Hearing these words from her own doctor felt isolating. “I was blamed and shamed by her obvious weight stigma and weight bias,” Hartman says. “And then I had my own internalized weight stigma and weight bias.” She felt frustrated with her inability to control her weight when she was so successful in so many other areas of her life.

RELATED: Everyday Health’s Survey and Special Report: Weight Loss Reframed

Hartman was already on 14 different prescription medications to manage the comorbidities of obesity, but she grew sicker until, around one year later, she decided she needed more help. She underwent bariatric surgery in 2014, which she calls “the best decision I’ve ever made for my health.”

Even after the success of the procedure, Hartman needed support in many different aspects of life, from nutrition to mental health care to emotional support. While seeking those resources, she became involved with the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals living with obesity and eliminating the kind of weight bias and stigma she had experienced firsthand.

“I went to the convention in Washington, DC, by myself, not knowing anybody, and it was the most incredible health experience of my life,” she says. “It was amazing to be in a room full of people who were living a similar life and had similar experiences as me. I felt like I had found my home.”

Over the years, Hartman has served on the OAC’s various committees and on the board. She’s currently serving a two-year term as the board chair.

Their Goal

The OAC, based in Tampa, Florida, was founded in 2005 to represent individuals affected by obesity. Through education, advocacy, and support, the OAC’s goal is to empower people living with obesity and to help foster a society where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect and without bias or discrimination regardless of their size or weight.

The organization, which currently has 80,000 members, also aims to ensure those with obesity can access safe and effective obesity treatment options.

“It’s important for us to say that we fully support people loving the body that they’re living in,” Hartman says. “But when the disease of obesity starts to impact health, everyone has a right to science-based and evidence-based obesity treatment.”

Services They Provide

The OAC provides an array of support and advocacy services, including online community discussion forums where individuals can connect with others going through similar health journeys.

On its website, the organization also provides a library of personal health stories and an action center containing resources to empower people living with obesity to use their voice to urge local, state, and federal legislators to prioritize obesity care.

Events

The OAC usually holds a yearly convention called Your Weight Matters, a national conference dedicated to bringing together people concerned about their weight and health to learn science-based strategies from the country’s leading experts.

“It’s a chance for people to come together for three days and spend time learning and meeting people face to face and making lifelong friendships,” Hartman says.

However, this year, the organization is holding regional half-day events throughout the United States. “This is a way to get into a community, introduce the Obesity Action Coalition, and find new ways to get involved and support advocacy not just at the national level, but at the state, city, and community levels.”

Core Beliefs

As one of the nation’s leading voices on obesity, the OAC is focused on the following goals:

• Raise awareness and improve access to the prevention and treatment of obesity
• Provide science-based education on obesity and its treatments
• Fight to eliminate weight bias and discrimination
• Elevate the conversation of weight and its impact on health, and
• Offer a community of support for anyone struggling with their weight

“We believe that people living with the chronic disease of obesity should receive the same level of affordable and compassionate care that every other chronic disease has access to,” says Hartman.

Everyday Health‘s Weight Loss Reframed Survey queried 3,144 Americans nationwide ages 18 and older who had tried losing weight in the previous six months. The study was fielded between July 10 and August 18, 2023, across demographic groups, genders, and health conditions. Survey recruitment took place via an online portal, in app, and via email. The margin of error for the sample size of 3,144 is +/-1.7 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.