Montreal, Canada | March 2026
This week in Montreal has highlighted the importance of global collaboration in advancing obesity care and ensuring that lived experience remains at the heart of change.
Pathways to Action: Global Obesity Implementation Forum (March 23–24)
Through the MoSCoW prioritisation framework, international experts came together to define clear, actionable priorities… from improving communication strategies, to strengthening multidisciplinary education, and embedding person-centred care across systems.
A Global Patient Charter for Obesity (March 25)
A key outcome of the week is the development of a Global Patient Charter. By setting out non-negotiable rights, this initiative aims to drive accountability, reduce stigma, and ensure equitable access to care by helping bridge the gap between science and real-world practice.
Canadian Obesity Summit (March 25–29)
The Summit opened with powerful lived experience contributions from ECPO’s Vicki Mooney, alongside Patty Nece and Ian Patton. While their journeys differ, the common thread remains – the lasting impact of stigma, self-doubt, and barriers within healthcare systems.
Vicki called on the community to act now, to prevent future generations from facing the same challenges.
Throughout the week, leading experts have shared research and innovation, but it is the voices of people living with obesity that continue to resonate most strongly.
Youth advocate Kassy Cummins (19) captured this powerfully:
“For the first time, I feel like I can exist and breathe… If we redefine what obesity means and act on the work being done here, we can make that word safe for those living with it.”
Why this matters for ECPO
For ECPO, participation in global moments like this — with both Vicki and Susie present – is essential. These events are not only platforms for knowledge sharing, but critical spaces for networking, partnership building, and the exchange of best practices across countries and disciplines.
They enable alignment, accelerate collaboration, and ensure that the patient voice is consistently represented where decisions are shaped.
This week reinforces a clear message: meaningful progress happens when lived experience, evidence, and global collaboration come together, and ECPO remains committed to ensuring that no one living with obesity is left behind. Thank you for having us @ObesityCanada and incorporating the European voice.
#ObesityCare #COS2026 #AddressingObesityTogether #PatientVoice