Support groups are a way for people suffering from similar conditions or circumstances to come together for information and the solace of being with understanding individuals. Support groups benefit communities by helping individuals navigate their feelings toward personal issues and also serve as a rudimentary form of group therapy. If you want to run a support group for obesity, you must be willing to undertake the stressful, yet rewarding, challenge of being not only the spokesperson for the group but also the organizer. It is your responsibility to keep the group going and provide the obesity support group with the necessary leadership and focus.
Instructions
1. Decide which aspect of the obesity issue your support group will focus on. You may want to focus on weight loss goals or simply learning to love oneself at any size. You may even opt to gear your support group toward the families of obese individuals who are worried about the health of their loved ones. Obesity is a broad topic and without a set focus there are likely to be heated disagreements within your meetings that could damage the support group's future.
2. Visit other support groups in your area to see how meetings are conducted and which methods seem to be the most effective. Work the tactics you find appealing from other support groups into your obesity support group.
3. Seek sponsorship. A sponsor can provide a place for the group to meet, give samples of its product, offer reduced services or coupons, or even finance support group activities. Even if your group is small, having a local business sponsor can be a big step in seeing your support group grow and offering benefits to your members.
4. Find other individuals willing to assist you with the scheduling, hosting, planning and financing. Doing it on your own can be stressful and may cause you to burn out.
5. Ask professionals in your community to come speak at your obesity support group's meetings. The occasional guest speaker offers variety and educational opportunities to your members. You may consider asking a health care worker to speak to the members about health, or you may prefer a psychologist who can talk to the group about the importance of self-esteem.
6. Advertise the obesity support group. Recent CDC estimates show that 25.6% of Americans are obese. By advertising the existence of your support group, you are offering your services to the large number of individuals who may need it.
7. Plan ahead of time what topics will be covered in each meeting and in which order. Take responsibility for starting conversations and guiding the discussion as necessary.
8. Be available for members to contact with their questions and concerns. Do your best to help members find answers that you do not have and to meet their personal goals concerning obesity.
