May is Mental Health Awareness Month, providing the perfect opportunity to have “real talk” about mental health and unique concerns for people living in larger bodies.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, but we don’t always treat it that way. Good mental health practices should be part of your daily routine, not just something we look after when times are tough or when we are struggling.
The relationship between weight and mental health is also a sensitive one. Many people living with obesity are victims of weight bias and stigma, which can affect mental health by leading to depression, low self-esteem, poor body image and more.
In other cases, having poor mental health can lead to someone developing obesity if it affects their eating and physical activity behaviors.
Watch Now: Connecting to Your Mental Health – An OAC Broadcast
In its May monthly broadcast, the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), Producer of the Your Weight Matters Campaign, wanted to dive further into this topic. The OAC brought on Merrill Littleberry, LCSW, LCDC, CCM, ACE-CPT, who is a psychotherapist and “fan favorite” speaker at OAC’s Annual Convention to help us discuss this topic in more detail. Ms. Littleberry will also be speaking at YWM2021-VIRTUAL this summer, July 17-25, about mental health topics such as resiliency and getting to the root of unhealthy behaviors.
Although the broadcast was live-streamed on YouTube, you can still watch the replay shown above. Here are some of the episode highlights:
- Distinguishing between mental health and mental illness
- Looking at the association between mental health and weight
- A discussion about mental health challenges throughout COVID-19
- Helpful tools and strategies for making the most of your mental wellness
Share Your Perspectives
How do you take care of your mental health? What types of activities do you do that benefit both your weight and your mind? What else do you want to know about these topics? Share any of your insights below to keep this conversation going!
Are you interested in seeing other OAC monthly broadcasts? Click here for more great content.
