From Obesity Canada’s CONDUIT Newsletter, June 2020

It is an intense time to be alive. There is an overwhelming amount of information coming at all of us and many of us are navigating new experiences on all kinds of fronts. Some of us are feeling alone and isolated. Some are figuring out how to balance the new responsibilities of home-schooling in addition to work. Some are struggling with the reality of the loss of employment. Some are adjusting to working from the same space that they call home. And, if you are like me, you miss human interaction.

A common thread we all share is that change is difficult. And it feels even harder when we do not have access to the people and places that make up our community — that make us feel safe, seen and connected.

Obesity Canada has always been about respect, knowledge and action. We seek opportunities to fuel quality research, to share evidence-based findings and to create connections that will improve the lives of the millions of Canadians living with obesity. We had some big plans this year — many of which involved in-person events. Our new reality has challenged us to solve problems we have never had to solve before. On the bright side, it also allows us to come up with new and creative solutions!

Our COVID-19 Hope Spotlight Series of webinars has been growing week over week. They are a great source of information and connection about a variety of topics. In case you missed them, the sessions are available on our YouTube channel. These are free to attend/view, and there are more on the horizon. If there is a topic you would like to see included in the series please let us know!

We are also in the beta launch of our new online community, OC Connect, and we cannot wait to throw the doors open wide and work with you to create a safe, vibrant online space where we as a community can unite our energy and have some real conversations. Read more about it, and if you are interested in shaking things up, get in touch! 

I am very excited about OC Connect and the power it has to unite our voices. I know that together we will transform the world for the better for the millions of people living with obesity. 

I cannot wait to connect again and remember, as my hero Dr. Bonnie Henry says: Be kind. Be calm. Be safe.

Lisa Schaffer

Chair, Public Engagement Committee

HOPE by Steve Snodgrass/Flickr/CC-by-2.0