A Window Is Opening to Change the Conversation on Obesity in Quebec

On World Obesity Day, nearly three million people in Quebec are living with obesity, yet their experiences remain largely absent from public conversation and political platforms.

In a recent opinion piece published in Healthing, Maude Picotte, Communications Manager at Obesity Matters/Parlons Obésité, reflects on how an unexpected career shift led her to join the movement advocating for dignity, recognition, and equitable care for people living with obesity in Quebec.

Her article underscores a critical disconnect: while obesity is widely recognized by the scientific community as a chronic, multifactorial disease, people living with obesity in Quebec continue to face limited access to evidence-based treatments and persistent stigma in healthcare and policy.

“Quebec systematically excludes pharmacological treatments from public coverage, not only making access exceedingly difficult, but also preventing the proper evaluation of effectiveness altogether,” Picotte writes.

With a provincial election anticipated in 2026, a strategic opportunity is emerging to shift the public dialogue. In response, Parlons Obésité has launched the “3 Million Reasons” campaign, a Quebec-focused awareness and advocacy initiative designed to elevate lived experience and generate Quebec-specific data on stigma, access, and barriers to care.

If you live in Quebec, your voice matters.

👉 Share your experience through the 3 Million Reasons survey

The insights gathered will inform media engagement, government consultations, and future advocacy efforts aimed at improving equitable access to care across the province.

Because behind every statistic is a person.
And every story is a reason to act.

Read the full article in Healthing:
Opinion: A ‘window is opening’ to shift the obesity conversation in Quebec