ECPObesity

France has become the first EU country to reimburse innovative obesity treatments, sending a strong message: obesity is a chronic disease that deserves the same recognition, care, and attention as any other long-term health condition.

For millions of people living with obesity, this is about far more than access to medication. It is recognition of a reality patients have known for years: obesity is a complex, chronic, and relapsing disease, not a personal failure or a matter of willpower.

Too often, access to treatment depends on the ability to pay, while stigma, delayed diagnosis, and limited care pathways continue to prevent patients from receiving the support they need. France's decision is an important step toward changing that reality.

At the same time, effective obesity care goes beyond medication. People living with obesity need access to comprehensive, multidisciplinary support, including prevention, nutrition, psychological care, physical activity programmes, medical treatment, and long-term follow-up.

As patient advocates across Europe continue to push for equitable access to care, France has shown that meaningful progress is possible when healthcare systems place patients at the centre of decision-making.

The question is no longer whether people living with obesity deserve access to treatment. The question is how quickly the rest of Europe will follow.

https://eurobesity.org/france-takes-an-important-step-forward-for-people-living-with-obesity/

“Relief from food noise is not vanity. It is the relief of finally having mental space, emotional calm, and freedom from a constant internal struggle.”
- Vicki Mooney, ECPO Executive Director

At , the conversation around Food Noise moved beyond anecdote and further into science, lived experience, and patient priorities. ECPO are proud to collaborate with Ted Kyle and ConscienHealth in helping amplify the voices and experiences of people living with obesity.

Because outcomes in obesity care are not only measured by the scale, but also by quality of life, mental burden, and the freedom to live without constant internal struggle.

Read More of Ted's blog post here: https://conscienhealth.org/2026/05/16/plenty-of-food-noise-in-istanbul-at-eco2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Alina shared a powerful story of living with ADHD, obesity and years of stigma.

For decades, she was told her struggles were a failure of willpower. But understanding her ADHD changed everything. As she says, it was “always there, just without a name.”

Treatment did not change who she was. It gave her brain the signals it had needed all along: helping her feel fullness, focus, sleep better, and live with less anxiety and shame.

Her story is a reminder that obesity is not a moral failure, and that integrated care, including ADHD screening and mental health support, can change lives.

Thank you, Alina, for sharing your courage, honesty, and hope with our community. 💜