ECPObesity

On Wednesday 17th of June the longest-serving member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health, Colm Burke TD, hosted an Oireachtas briefing “Tackling Obesity in Ireland: The Role of Evidence-Based Care.”

ECPO's Susie Birney, who has represented Ireland as an advocate since 2018, spoke of the need to take action and truly recognise the recurring aspect of the disease of obesity. While many attending the session raised their hands in acknowledgement that obesity is a disease, and again that it is a chronic disease, not many admitted to paying attention to the recurring aspect of this complex disease. Susie highlighted that research shows people will delay seeking care typically until after the onset of complications and other non-communicable diseases can have occurred, and that we need to stop closing the gate after the horse has bolted. To treat obesity IS also prevention.

The strong patient voice in the room was reinforced by the support and attendance of Maura Murphy and Bernie Walsh from ICPObesity, demonstrating the commitment of the patient community to advancing evidence-based obesity care in Ireland.

Ireland will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1, 2026, holding the position for six months until December 31, 2026. They will be responsible for planning and chairing ministeral meetings, steering legislative negotiations, and brokering compromises among member states. It was inspiring to know that Colm Burke queried how he could help during Ireland's presidency with regard to the call for action to address obesity.

We look forward to watching what will emerge over the coming months in Ireland.

Can food labeling help reduce obesity?

A new study published in The Lancet and shared by Ted Kyle from ConscienHealth, suggests that Chile's comprehensive food policy, including front-of-pack warning labels, restrictions on marketing to children and changes to the school food environment, was associated with a modest reduction in childhood overweight and obesity.

At the same time, the study's authors acknowledge important limitations, and previous research has produced less clear results regarding long-term trends. The findings are encouraging, but they also highlight how difficult it is to demonstrate lasting effects on obesity, even when policies clearly change food marketing, product formulation, and purchasing behaviors.
An interesting read, and a good reminder that in obesity policy, evidence is rarely as simple as either supporters or critics would like it to be.

https://conscienhealth.org/2026/06/13/believing-is-seeing-effects-of-food-labeling-in-chile/

Believing Is Seeing: Effects of Food Labeling in Chile - ConscienHealth Chile food labeling

We stand stronger when we lift together against weight stigma! 🤝❤️

We are back from the 12th Annual Stigma Conference in Oslo. With this year's focus on intersectionality and solutions, one thing became very clear:
Whether our passion stems from body diversity and dignity, or from the right to high-quality medical care for the metabolic disease of obesity—we all face the same biases in daily life and healthcare. These are not opposing views, but two sides of the same important cause.

When we shift our focus away from weight and toward biology and metabolism, something vital happens:
✨ Blame and shame are removed from the individual.
✨ We recognise that weight alone never tells the full story of someone's health.
✨ We can demand BOTH respect for bodily autonomy and access to proper medical care.

ECPO recently represented the patient voice in Oslo. We are bringing these reflections home as we continue our work for a fairer, evidence-based healthcare system through the European research projects and .

👉 Read the full article on our website: https://eurobesity.org/a-united-front-against-weight-stigma-reflections-from-the-international-weight-stigma-conference-in-oslo/

Today is Global Fatty Liver Day.

Fatty liver disease affects millions of people worldwide and is closely linked to obesity and metabolic health. By raising awareness, we can support earlier diagnosis, reduce stigma, and improve access to care.

Learn more about the connection between obesity and liver health and join us in supporting greater awareness of MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis).

ECPO Brings the Patient Voice to Economist Enterprise’s Economics of Obesity and Metabolic Health Summit

The European Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ECPO) was proud to participate in Economist Enterprise’s Economics of Obesity and Metabolic Health Summit, contributing the patient perspective across multiple high-level discussions focused on prevention, treatment, innovation, and equitable access to care.

Representing the lived experience of people living with obesity, ECPO Executive Director Vicki Mooney participated in panel discussions and expert roundtables addressing some of the most pressing questions facing healthcare systems today, including the future of metabolic health, innovation in obesity treatment, and the opportunities and challenges presented by digital health pathways.
Vicki emphasised the importance of accessible and sustainable care pathways for people with obesity and not ‘Product Pathways’.

Throughout the summit, ECPO reinforced a central message: healthcare systems must move beyond a narrow focus on weight loss and instead prioritise outcomes that matter to patients.

It was particularly encouraging to see strong alignment between the perspectives of ECPO and EASO as Vicki shared the stage with Volkan Yumuk, EASO President, on reinforcing a shared commitment to integrated, patient-centred obesity care and meaningful health outcomes.

One of the key discussions explored whether current obesity metrics and care pathways place too much emphasis on weight loss rather than broader metabolic health. ECPO highlighted the importance of recognising obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease that requires comprehensive management and coordinated care. Discussions also focused on the growing burden of metabolic and liver-related conditions, including MASLD and MASH, and the need for earlier identification, intervention and integrated care.

As conversations turned to the rapid evolution of obesity treatments, ECPO emphasised that innovation alone is not enough. New therapies can only achieve their full potential when embedded within sustainable treatment and management pathways that support people throughout their entire healthcare journey. Patient education, ongoing support, multidisciplinary care and equitable access must accompany advances in treatment if meaningful outcomes are to be achieved.

ECPO also participated in discussions examining the opportunities and challenges of digital health pathways for obesity care in Europe. During these conversations, ECPO stressed that digital transformation must be designed with patients, not simply for patients.

Digital health solutions should be accessible, inclusive and non-stigmatising. They must take into account the realities faced by underserved communities, including individuals experiencing stigma, limited health literacy, digital exclusion, socioeconomic barriers and unequal access to healthcare services. Technology should reduce inequities rather than create new ones.

Across all discussions, ECPO advocated for healthcare systems that are connected rather than fragmented, prevention-oriented rather than reactive, and accountable to the people they serve.

Most importantly, ECPO reminded stakeholders that success should not be measured solely by weight reduction, clinical indicators or technological advancement. The ultimate measure of success is whether people living with obesity experience better health, improved quality of life, reduced disease burden and greater opportunities to live well.

As obesity and metabolic health continue to gain political and healthcare attention across Europe, ECPO remains committed to ensuring that the patient voice is not an afterthought but a fundamental component of policy development, healthcare design and innovation.

Most importantly, we challenged participants to remember that success is not measured only by numbers, technologies or systems.

Success is measured by the outcomes that matter most to people living with obesity.

Thank you to Economist Enterprise and all participants for creating space for meaningful dialogue and patient-centred solutions.

„A picture is never "just a picture."

When media outlets illustrate obesity with images of children eating donuts, they reinforce outdated and harmful stereotypes that contradict medical science.

Following the publication of an NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) opinion piece on inequities in access to obesity treatment for children, the Norwegian Association for People Living with Overweight and Obesity (LFO) challenged the broadcaster's use of a stigmatizing image that reduced a complex, chronic disease to simplistic assumptions about food choices and personal responsibility.

The complaint highlights an important principle: obesity is a complex condition influenced by biological, genetic, environmental, and social factors. Media representations should reflect this reality rather than perpetuate myths that contribute to blame, shame, and discrimination.

We welcome the news that the case has now been formally accepted by Norway's Broadcasting Council and will be discussed at its September meeting.

Respectful, evidence-based portrayals matter. The images used to tell stories can either challenge stigma or reinforce it. This time it was the latter.

Through our Image Bank, we are helping media tell a different story: one that reflects the real experiences of people living with obesity, with dignity and respect. https://share.google/HNLNvWtQdbjIKtbom

Did you know that that people who experience weight-based teasing, bullying, discrimination or shame are at greater risk of developing eating disorders?

For people living with obesity, this stigma can create a harmful cycle: judgment and blame can contribute to unhealthy relationships with food, while eating disorders often remain undiagnosed because of persistent misconceptions about who can be affected.

On World Eating Disorders Action Day, ECPO joins the global call to challenge stereotypes, end stigma, and ensure that everyone affected by an eating disorder has access to timely, compassionate, and evidence-based care.

France has become the first EU country to reimburse innovative obesity treatments, sending a strong message: obesity is a chronic disease that deserves the same recognition, care, and attention as any other long-term health condition.

For millions of people living with obesity, this is about far more than access to medication. It is recognition of a reality patients have known for years: obesity is a complex, chronic, and relapsing disease, not a personal failure or a matter of willpower.

Too often, access to treatment depends on the ability to pay, while stigma, delayed diagnosis, and limited care pathways continue to prevent patients from receiving the support they need. France's decision is an important step toward changing that reality.

At the same time, effective obesity care goes beyond medication. People living with obesity need access to comprehensive, multidisciplinary support, including prevention, nutrition, psychological care, physical activity programmes, medical treatment, and long-term follow-up.

As patient advocates across Europe continue to push for equitable access to care, France has shown that meaningful progress is possible when healthcare systems place patients at the centre of decision-making.

The question is no longer whether people living with obesity deserve access to treatment. The question is how quickly the rest of Europe will follow.

https://eurobesity.org/france-takes-an-important-step-forward-for-people-living-with-obesity/

At the launch of the IMPACTMED project in Rome, ECPO Patient Council member Mari-Mette Graff shared an important reminder on the real impact stigma has on people living with obesity throughout their healthcare journey.

Drawing from lived experience, Mari-Mette highlighted how stigma can affect recruitment, participation, retention, and trust in healthcare systems, even when intentions are good. Her message reinforced the importance of building truly people-centred care grounded in dignity, equity, and respect.

“Stigma is a wall that keeps us apart, but equity is the bridge that reminds us that we all deserve the same safety and dignity.” - Mari-Mette Graff

At ECPO, we are proud to see patient voices helping shape conversations around sustainable and fair healthcare across Europe.

“Relief from food noise is not vanity. It is the relief of finally having mental space, emotional calm, and freedom from a constant internal struggle.”
- Vicki Mooney, ECPO Executive Director

At , the conversation around Food Noise moved beyond anecdote and further into science, lived experience, and patient priorities. ECPO are proud to collaborate with Ted Kyle and ConscienHealth in helping amplify the voices and experiences of people living with obesity.

Because outcomes in obesity care are not only measured by the scale, but also by quality of life, mental burden, and the freedom to live without constant internal struggle.

Read More of Ted's blog post here: https://conscienhealth.org/2026/05/16/plenty-of-food-noise-in-istanbul-at-eco2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)