Help Stop Weight Bias for Obesity Care Week 2021!

Obesity Care Week 2021 (#OCW2021) is here!

From Feb. 28 to March 6, 2021, our Salud America! Latino health equity team at UT Health San Antonio, is happy to be an OCW2021 Champion to support this awareness week.

Obesity Care Week - overviewObesity Care Week is an annual public awareness effort to end weight bias, as well as raise awareness, educate and advocate for a better world for people living with obesity.

Salud America! research shows that U.S. Latinos face health inequities in many areas—from poverty and social support to access to affordable housing and transit—that contribute to higher rates of obesity. Latino adults have higher obesity rates than their white peers (47% and 37.9%), as do Latino children (20.7% and 11.7%). This, in turn, leads to disparities in diabetes and risk for COVID-19 and other health conditions. Addressing the root causes can help address obesity.

#OCW2021 has different focus days to stimulate conversations about obesity:

  • February 28: Launch Day
  • March 1: Weight Bias
  • March 2: Obesity Prevention & Treatment
  • March 3: Access to Care
  • March 4: World Obesity Day
  • March 5: Childhood Obesity
  • March 6: “I Care” Day

Please join us in supporting this annual awareness week to help change the way we care about obesity, especially for communities of color.

Obesity Care Week is led by Obesity Action Coalition, The Obesity Society, the STOP Obesity Alliance, the Obesity Medicine Association, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

stop weight bias 1 obesityThe Obesity Action Coalition also has launched Stop Weight Bias, a national campaign to end weight bias and push equality forward. Sadly, surveys show that 90% of people felt that weight bias exists in today’s society, and 41.7% had experienced stigma because of their weight.

The campaign also has great PSAs and infographics and fact sheets on this topic.

Sign-up for OCW Alerts or visit ObesityCareWeek.org. Use #OCW2021 on social media.

Editor’s Note: Image credit to the Obesity Action Coalition.

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