It’s Bigger than Me was introduced to the world in 2021 to educate the public that obesity is a disease, not just a character flaw or lack of willpower. As we worked to shift society’s mindset, we also discovered that people living with obesity weren’t just experiencing bias and stigma from strangers but from some health care professionals. So, for the next phase of the It’s Bigger than Me movement, we wanted to take what we learned and work to understand what was happening to not only fight the stigma and bias surrounding obesity itself but also raise awareness about the type of treatment people living with obesity were experiencing and looking for.

We created the Inclusive Obesity Care Initiative to reinforce that obesity is a disease and raise awareness about the type of care patients living with obesity were looking for, and introduced the world's first ally marker, the “Inclusive Obesity Care” symbol, which would signal spaces of compassion, respect, and support for people living with obesity.

We created the symbol through a compelling video featuring people living with obesity and health care professionals as they discussed and reflected on the real struggles members of the obesity community regularly face. Then, with help from cultural icon and brand ambassador Queen Latifah, the group worked together to create a symbol that visually represents and raises awareness for the need for unbiased care and eventually where to find spaces free from weight bias and stigma.

Our initial research taught us that preconceived notions that often lead to mistreatment and lesser care could alienate patients from pursuing their health and weight journey. In fact, 66% of participants who reported a history of weight stigma experienced it from their doctors.

With this in mind, we knew that to help, we needed to correct misconceptions about obesity and reinforce that it’s a disease, how to manage it, its health implications and explain how finding help from an inclusive health care professional is a good first step. This led us to ask: “What if we could facilitate a way for these patients to identify doctors who are allies, recognize bias, and are dedicated to changing the patterns of the past?”

Our goal was simple: to show patients that they’re not alone and that there are health care professionals who want to help and offer the care they’re yearning for.

The “Inclusive Obesity Care” symbol isn’t just a badge but a collaborative piece of art created with individuals who have experienced obesity-related bias. We arranged for an open conversation—on camera—between people living with obesity and health care professionals, identifying important themes each person needed when seeking and providing care.

We let each person splash paint on a canvas, incorporating their personal story into the color of the final design. The design was unveiled by peeling off the surrounding parts of the canvas, leaving just the colorful “Inclusive Obesity Care” symbol in the center. We turned the unique symbol into decals, but that was just the beginning.

The initiative aims to make the symbol ubiquitous and available to any professional who wants to display it outside their practice. It also encourages those unaware of their contributions to bias in healthcare to adopt more empathetic and inclusive practices.

The Inclusive Obesity Care Initiative and symbol were met with resounding love and support from those struggling and allies. The effort earned 6.6 billion impressions and 8.2 million engagements across platforms, including a 44% increase in conversations around “obesity is a disease” since the campaign launched.

The symbol, designed to end a stigma, provided a way to communicate that people living with obesity didn’t have to feel alone and could find spaces to get the care and attention they needed.