I was honoured and privileged to be invited to attend ECO 2018 in Vienna. I was left feeling incredibly positive and motivated by the congress, as though obesity is already classified as a disease in a few countries, I felt that there is becoming more of a recognition of the condition as a disease especially in the medical and scientific community.
The negative stigma surrounding obesity is everywhere. We have such a long way to go to improve, it’s reassuring that some among the medical profession are invested and motivated in this area, not just people with the disease.
One of the most striking and shocking statistics from the Obesity Action Coalition Seminar which stays with me is the fact that 45% of women with severe obesity have felt vulnerable to discrimination. As a woman who has previously suffered from severe obesity I was dismayed by this revelation. It made me more determined than ever to change the misinformed negative perceptions of the general public, media and medical professionals. Nobody should be discriminated against for something over which they have no control.
See you next year at #ECO2019 in Glasgow!
Audrey Roberts, Scotland