Come S.H.I.N.E. with me this September at the OAC’s 3rd Annual Your Weight Matters National Convention. This year I have the pleasure of being a topic leader for Lunch with the Experts. I will be leading the Saturday Lunch Topic – You are Your Best Advocate: Leading Your Healthcare Team. Last year I wrote my Top 5 Reasons Why YOU Should Attend OAC’s #YWM2013, and not that you need more convincing but I wanted to write about the 5 elements of this year’s theme SHINE.

Support – Obesity Action Coalition offers support to everyone, no matter where you are in your journey or which path you are choosing, even if you have yet to choose a path. My favorite part of the OAC Vision Statement “All individuals are treated with respect and without discrimination or bias regardless of their size or weight”

Health – Health is not measured by the number on the scale, health is a combination of factors and clinical indicators.  Also being healthy is not just physical health, but emotional and mental health. The YWM2014 will be the opportunity to focus or refocus on your overall journey to health.

Inspiration – Often we seek or find inspiration in others, at YWM2014 I challenge you to find inspiration within yourself and your story, where you have been and where you are going. Our stories our powerful, and together with our stories and experiences we can make a difference. I encourage you to attend one of the Advocacy Training sessions on Thursday to learn more about how you can assist OAC in their mission.

Networking – At YWM2014 you will meet many other individuals working towards the same goal as you, and you’ll also meet many professional dedicated to improving the quality of treatment and life for those affected by obesity.  And those connections will continue even after you return home, the connections you make will provide many new outlets of support and information.

Education – I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Sharma speak last year at the ObesityHelp Conference, his message and perspective is one that is needed among both patients and practitioners in regards to weight and obesity. My favorite topic Dr. Sharma spoke on was the meaning of failure and success.