RIDGELAND, Miss — Janae Usner recalled how her former primary care doctor bullied her for her weight.

“She was implying, essentially, that I was letting my child down, probably because if I’m obese, he’ll probably be obese,” said Usner, 40, who is from Metairie, Louisiana. 

She also described how the doctor looked through her Apple Watch “to see if she could find a pedometer that would let her know how many steps I had made the day before.”

This was about a year and a half ago, and the experience made her so uncomfortable she switched doctors.

“I know I need to manage my weight better,” Usner said, “but bullying and shame is definitely not the way I want to be motivated.” 

The Florida-based nonprofit organization Obesity Action Coalition promotes a different approach to obesity. Its Your Weight Matters Regional events provide free information from experts about weight loss and health in cities around the country.

Usner drove three hours to attend the latest event Saturday in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

Michelle Vicari is the senior program manager at the Obesity Action Coalition. She said the ultimate goal of these events is to get people to talk to their doctors about their weight and health.

“Going to your doctor and saying, ‘I need help,’ is not a moral failing,” Vicari said. “It’s something that you deserve. You’re worthy of care.”

Speakers gave presentations on nutrition, mental health, obesity treatment options and more. Paul Davidson, an independent concierge consultant and health coach with a doctorate in clinical psychology, spoke about managing stress and stress’ relationship to weight.

“How many of you got stressed, your brain tells you to eat, and you reach for Brussels sprouts?” he asked the crowd, getting several laughs.

Between presentations, attendees opened up about struggles they face in trying to manage their weight and health.

Georgia Lewis, 52, is a child care provider from Yazoo City. She has multiple family members with obesity and noticed some weight problems of her own. 

“I started seeing some weight kind of sticking a little bit with me because I was at a certain size,” Lewis said. “And when I guess I passed menopause, the weight started sticking a little bit more.” 

She sought information about how to keep herself and the children in her care healthy. 

Chandra James, 48, lives in Jackson and is a single mother of two daughters. She has family members who are borderline obese, including herself.

“Well for me, I’m looking at the future of my kids, myself, my family, and I’m trying to learn, educate myself, to help keep us healthy,” James said. However, she said she finds it difficult to afford healthy foods.

Like Lewis and James, Usner has family members with obesity and other health problems. She also has trouble choosing healthy food options.

“I have a toddler, so it’s harder to get him to eat things that aren’t Spaghetti O’s and stuff like that,” Usner said. “So that’s the things you end up surrounding yourself with just out of necessity to get through the day.”

Obesity is a complex chronic disease defined by having too much body fat. Factors such as food insecurity, diet, certain medications and genetics can all lead to obesity. It is linked to several other chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

The Obesity Action Coalition, which advocates and supports those impacted by the disease, brought Your Weight Matters Regional to Mississippi specifically because of the state’s high obesity prevalence. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mississippi has the second-highest prevalence of obesity in the county, 40.1%. Nationwide, it’s estimated that three-quarters of American adults have obesity.

People with obesity also face problems accessing treatment. Many insurance companies don’t cover obesity management services. Many doctors outside of the speciality are underinformed about how to treat patients with the disease.

“Many people still are in the old-school thinking that if you just eat less and move more, the problem will go away. And we now know that is not true at all,” Davidson said.

Lisa Sudderth is clinic administrator for Premier Medical Weight Loss of Mississippi, which had a table at the event. In addition to doctors not being informed, patients may not have enough time or enough information, or may be too intimidated to ask questions, she said.

“Look for somebody who is trained in the field, and who is specialized in the field of bariatric medicine and make sure it’s being done right,” Sudderth advised.

Lewis said she learned more about the science behind obesity and the stigma surrounding it.

Usner said her most important takeaway was “not to blame myself for my weight because it’s defeatist and inaccurate.”

James said she learned that if someone is struggling with obesity, “You’re not out there alone, that there’s organizations out there that can help you out.”