Born2lbfat

My life with Lipedema & Lymphedema...destined to be fat.

OAC Member of the Year

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OAC Member of the YearFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 28, 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
James Zervios
Director of Communications, OAC
(800) 717-3117
jzervios@obesityaction.org

SARAH BRAMBLETTE HONORED WITH THE OBESITY ACTION COALITION’S

“OAC MEMBER OF THE YEAR” AWARD

Tampa, Fla. – Ohio resident Sarah Bramblette was honored with the Obesity Action Coalition’s (OAC) “OAC Member of the Year” award during the 3rd Annual Your Weight MattersSM National Convention, Together We S.H.I.N.E.

As an OAC member since 2012, Sarah has dedicated herself to raising awareness of the OAC, weight bias and the disease of obesity. In 2014, Sarah was featured in the OAC’s publication, Your Weight Matters Magazine, where she provided readers with an in-depth look at living with lipedema. She was also the first-place winner of HealthCentral’s #LiveBold Anti-stigma Photo Contest. She is a lipedema, lymphedema, obesity, and health insurance advocate and blogs about her life experiences at www.born2lbfat.com. Sarah is currently working toward a master’s degree in health law.

Sarah has worked closely with the OAC leadership, other members and staff on a variety of issues in 2014. From weight bias issues to representing the OAC in the media, she has gone above and beyond for the OAC.

“I honestly cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Sarah. Since joining the OAC, she has continually raised the bar for what we look for in an OAC member. To Sarah, being an OAC member is not just simply joining the Coalition. She takes being a member in the OAC to a completely different level. The OAC is grateful for Sarah’s dedication. We congratulate her on winning the OAC’s most prestigious award,” said Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA, OAC Chairman.

About the OAC

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), a nearly 50,000 member-strong National non-profit organization, is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals affected by the disease of obesity through education, advocacy and support. To learn more about the OAC, please visit www.ObesityAction.org.

About the “OAC Member of the Year” Award

This is the highest OAC honor and is awarded to an OAC member who has gone above and beyond to help the OAC. The recipient of this award should be an exemplary OAC member and continually represent the OAC in their efforts to impact the obesity epidemic nationwide.

About the Your Weight Matters Convention

The Your Weight Matters Convention is a National convention focused on providing individuals with quality, evidence-based education on weight and its impact on health. For more information on the Convention, please visit www.YWMConvention.com.

Winner! Living Bold With Lipedema

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healthcentral

“A picture is worth a thousand words, this picture turned out to be worth $500…

“I’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game…

I never imagined a day at the pool with an underwater camera would lead to my story of living with Lipedema being featured on HealthCentral, nor that the contest would be an experience in itself. There are several stories to be told, the story of being fat shamed while at the gym when the picture was taken, the story of why I entered the picture for the HealthCentral #LiveBold contest, and the story of the connection I made with fellow contestant and second place winner Gabe Howard.

I became aware of the contest through the Obesity Action Coalition, I have been a member since 2012 and am known for being a strong advocate against weight stigma and bias. Upon seeing the contest guidelines, to share a picture of how you live bold with a chronic condition, I immediately thought of this picture. While I initially thought the picture made my butt look big, I quickly realized the powerful message captured in the moment. I crafted my words to fit the image and submitted it for the contest. I did not set out to win the contest, my only intent was to share my story. However, as voting continued I saw I had the potential to win and ramped up my social medial campaign to solicit votes.

One day I decided to check out the #LiveBold hashtag on Twitter to see which other contestants were promoting their stories. I came across Gabe’s posts, I had read his story and really connected. I began to follow him on Twitter and sent him a Tweet. I liked his story so much, that I started requesting that my friends and family vote for both of us. It turned out Gabe lived only two hours from me. Small world indeed, his father is actually from my hometown. Win or lose, I had made a new friend.

So then the announcement came and I won! My story was going to be featured on HealthCentral.com. This was huge, not only for me, but for the Lipedema and Lymphedema communities. The prize was well timed also, as I was preparing for my trip to Washington, DC to attend the National Lymphedema Network Conference and Lymphedema Lobby Days. I used the $500 Visa Gift card towards my hotel expenses.

Me with the HealthCentral Staff

Me with the HealthCentral Staff

So it turns out HealthCentral’s offices are located in Alexandria, VA and when they heard I would be in DC they invited me over to meet the staff, tour the offices, and lunch. I also filmed an interview with them to be included with my blog post, Living Boldly With Lymphedema and Lipedema

Lesson learned: Never underestimate the power of your story…or a picture of you in your swimsuit.

 

How I #LiveBold To Fight Weight Stigma

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I entered the HealthCentral #LiveBold anti-stigma photo contest.

(voting is open until August 8th! Click on the link and VOTE for me, vote daily!)

I share my story of how I #LiveBold with Lipedema and Lymphedema and overcome weight stigma.

Picture of me in the pool

The story behind this photo fits well into the anti-stigma theme, because I experienced weight stigma just before it was taken. The photo was taken during a trip to the gym to get pictures of me doing various water exercises for my FitBloggin’ Ignite Fitness presentation. As soon as I stepped into the pool this woman motioned to me and began talking to me in Spanish, I thought perhaps she recognized me from water aerobics class but when she realized I did not speak Spanish she quickly switched to English and her intentions were made clear.

“My daughter is as big as you are and she goes to this clinic and has lost fifty pounds. They don’t make her workout, they just speed up her heart to help her lose weight.”

Well that sounds safe…
Why the hell would you tell someone EXERCISING AT THE GYM about a clinic where they don’t make you exercise?
Wait…why the HELL would you approach a stranger about their weight…at the gym no less?
 

I’m not sure why I try to be nice in response to people who are so rude to me, but I tried to explain that I have Lipedema and Lymphedema and that I have a great medical team that monitors my overall health. No, she still continued. I explained that I no longer live in the area, that I was just visiting so going to a local clinic was not even an option for me. No, she still kept talking about it….I finally just walked away and continued my exercises and photo shoot.

She caught me again at the other end of the pool, she obviously noticed I was annoyed by the conversation so she attempted to suck up.

“You’re very beautiful and have a nice shape.”

Seriously? Yes, I know.

I know that I am fat AND that I am beautiful. I don’t need to be informed of either by a stranger.

I said “thank you”, but that’s not a compliment when it comes AFTER fat shaming. Her initial reaction to seeing me was to approach me about my weight, only after she saw that I was pissed off did she compliment me.

Back to the picture, my boyfriend said he wanted to get a creative picture half in and half out of the water. Upon reviewing the pictures I gave a sarcastic “thanks babe”. I joked about how “objects under the water may appear larger than actual size”, and I soon realized how very powerful the photo was and how it really captured the moment and my story. There is more to me and my story than what appears on the surface. The people who take the time to see past my surface appearance get the benefit of knowing me and my story, and in exchange I get to know them and their story.

We all have a story.

How do you #LiveBold? Share YOUR story of how you #LiveBold despite a health condition.