Providing Support, Education and Advocacy for People with Obesity

Rebecca Dilks, RD, LDN, research coordinator at the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders and member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, explains the mission of and Penn's involvement with the Obesity Action Coalition.

Obesity is a disease and its patients require support, education and access to treatment. Several members of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team had the privilege of learning about expanding access to obesity treatment, ending weight bias and preventing obesity through education, awareness and advocacy at the 28th annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the largest bariatric society in the world.

At the annual meeting, we learned about the Obesity Action Coalition's (OAC) website, magazine, newsletter, support groups and other methods being used to increase education about obesity, including a "Walk from Obesity." It was clear to us that the OAC offers a unique opportunity for bariatric health care providers and patients to team up and improve the lives of people affected by obesity. In fact, we were so impressed by the OAC that several members of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program joined the coalition.

A major focus of the OAC is advocating for widespread recognition of obesity as a disease. Patients can be denied access to important medical treatments, including medically managed weight loss or bariatric surgery, because insurance companies do not recognize obesity as a disease. The OAC wants to change this by encouraging patients and providers to contact elected officials, legislators and employers and emphasize the importance of treating obesity as a disease. They also provide guidance for those seeking insurance coverage for bariatric surgery.

With tools provided by the OAC, people affected by obesity can help eliminate the negative stigma and encourage key decision makers to recognize obesity as the medical disease that it is.

We encourage you to consider joining the OAC as part of your bariatric surgery experience with the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program.

For more information about the Obesity Action Coalition, visit the website.

- Rebecca Dilks, RD, LDN