The OAC needs your vote!! Please show your support.

The OAC needs your help! They are participating in a Facebook contest for nonprofits sponsored by Vivint. This is a great opportunity for the OAC because the grand prize, going to the nonprofit who receives the most overall votes, is $250,000!

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is an IRS registered 501(c)3 National non profit organization dedicated to giving a voice to those affected by obesity. To increase obesity education, the OAC offers a wide variety of free educational resources on obesity, morbid obesity and childhood obesity, in addition to consequences and treatments of these conditions. The OAC also conducts a variety of advocacy efforts throughout the U.S. on both the National and state levels, and encourages individuals to become proactive advocates.

With everyone’s support we can help the OAC win this contest and use the money to continue helping those affected by obesity through education, advocacy and support.

Click on the orange box on the right side of my blog where it says Endorse Now

Thank you for your support!!

C.H.O.I.C.E. Choosing Health over Obesity Inspiring Change through Empowerment..

I have always been an advocate for the education and treatment of obesity as a disease. Please take a few moments to read about C.H.O.I.C.E. and what we can do to advocate.. There is an option to sign a petition and find CHOICE on facebook..

Remember we have POWER in numbers so I encourage all of you who have been affected by obesity to sign the petition...

Also take this opportunity to learn more about the Obesity Action Coalition with your FREE membership!

http://www.mychoicecampaign.com/choice.aspx

http://www.mychoicecampaign.com/issue.aspx

It's time to get involved and become an advocate for our community..

Obesity Help Magazine

As a professional in the bariatric community I am blessed with the opportunity to meet weight loss patients on a daily basis. Many share their personal stories from living life as an obese person to having conversations as a fellow weight loss patient. I am very passionate about the education and treatment of obesity along with advocacy in my local community and on a national level. When I am surrounded by colleagues and fellow weight loss patients who share that same passion, it truly makes my heart smile.

I believe that weight loss surgery is a very personal choice which requires hard work and a lifelong lifestyle change. October 18, 2007 is my re-birth date when I made that commitment to myself by having Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

My personal journey has consisted of many road bumps but I still consider myself to be one of the biggest advocates for this lifestyle change. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason (even if we don’t know the reason when it happens) and I am using my experience to help others by giving back to the bariatric community.

I have shared portions of my story on different levels with patients and professionals because of my passion to give back and touch lives. After sharing bits and pieces I decided to elaborate and share more information about my journey.

Today I was elated/honored to see that my story had been published in the May/June 2011 Obesity Help magazine!

We all need support during our journey and Obesity Help is a huge additional resource for the weight loss community on different levels. One avenue of support through this organization is the OH Magazine which is full of personal stories, information on obesity and the treatment options, recipes, contests etc.

Support is a vital component for success in my personal weight loss journey. I always want different levels of support therefore I am a member/support group leader with Obesity Help. I encourage anyone looking for additional resources to take some time and look at what OH has to offer. Click on the OH magazine on the side of my blog and type in my code baker11 to receive a discounted rate for a 1 year subscription.

I wish you the best of luck in your personal journey!

Sharing my personal journey..

As a professional in the bariatric community I am blessed with the opportunity to meet weight loss patients on a daily basis. Many share their personal stories from living life as an obese person to having conversations as a fellow weight loss patient. I am very passionate about the education and treatment of obesity along with advocacy in my local community and on a national level. When I am surrounded by colleagues and fellow weight loss patients who share that same passion, it truly makes my heart smile.

I believe that weight loss surgery is a very personal choice which requires hard work and a lifelong lifestyle change. October 18, 2007 is my re-birth date when I made that commitment to myself by having Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

My personal journey has consisted of many road bumps but I still consider myself to be one of the biggest advocates for this lifestyle change. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason (even if we don’t know the reason when it happens) and I am using my experience to help others by giving back to the bariatric community.

I have shared portions of my story on different levels with patients and professionals because of my passion to give back and touch lives. After sharing bits and pieces I decided to elaborate and share more information about my journey.

Today I was elated/honored to see that my story had been published in the May/June 2011 Obesity Help magazine!

We all need support during our journey and Obesity Help is a huge additional resource for the weight loss community on different levels. One avenue of support through this organization is the OH Magazine which is full of personal stories, information on obesity and the treatment options, recipes, contests etc.

Support is a vital component for success in my personal weight loss journey. I always want different levels of support therefore I am a member/support group leader with Obesity Help. I encourage anyone looking for additional resources to take some time and look at what OH has to offer.

I wish you the best of luck in your personal journey!

Obesity Online Influencers Event in New York Part #1

Last month I was invited to attend an Obesity Online Event in New York hosted by
Ethicon Endo-Surgery http://www.ethiconendosurgery.com/
and Obesity Action Coalition http://www.obesityaction.org/home/index.php.

My invite included travel and hotel accommodations paid for by Ethicon Endo-Surgery along with a welcome reception Thursday night and the event on Friday.

When I first read the invite I told myself it wasn't real. First off how did these people find me and secondly what was the catch? You don't get a FREE trip to New York without the underling fine print right? It was like those times when someone calls you from the radio station and says "You've won an all expense paid trip for a weekend in Vegas" then you get there and you have to spend 4 hours listening to a spiel about time shares or 2 months after your trip the bills start rolling in because you didn't read the fine print on what you were responsible for!

After many conversations it became clear to me that this was the real deal! Ok so it's real now why are they knocking on my door? It was explained to me like this: research shows that patients who are seeking weight loss surgery or who have had surgery are spending many hours researching online. Many are turning to social media and seeking out people who have had surgery and who blog/talk/face book about it. Because of this a group of bloggers were invited to attend this event in New York.

After the initial shock was over I was ecstatic to hear that a large corporation is recognizing the impact social media has in the community. I was still intrigued on how they choose specific bloggers to invite to this event. I was told that Ethicon had worked with their marketing firm Porter Novelli who researched bloggers in the bariatric community and that we were among the top 25 online influencers.

WOW once again I was flabbergasted! My goal with this blog has always been to touch someone in the bariatric community and give support on all levels. There are times when I wondered if I was really reaching anyone or just writing to myself. This was good confirmation for me personally knowing that I am making a difference!

So my WLS friends that is all I'm sharing in this post... There is more to come!!!

To be continued.........................

Join me today by becoming a member of the Obesity Action Coalition !

The Obesity Action Coalition is an advocacy organization that helps individuals affected by obesity. This is a great place for you to become involved and give back to the cause of obesity. I am a proud member of this organization and I encourage all of you who have been affected by obesity to join me by becoming a member and bringing a stronger voice to your community. The OAC is a non-profit organization and is striving to reach a membership level of 50,000 to show how strong our community is.

Click on the link below and join today!! There is POWER in NUMBERS… Every voice will help make a difference!

http://www.obesityaction.org/membership/overview.php

Want more information? Below is a link for you to view about the OAC and how they educate and advocate for obesity awareness.

http://www.obesityaction.org/multimedia/takingaction.php