Obesity Matters

What Obesity Matters does

Obesity Matters is a Canadian not-for-profit advocacy organization founded in 2020 and headquartered at 5700-100 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario. It serves individuals living with obesity, their families, employers and human resources professionals, and healthcare providers through three integrated pillars: education, community, and advocacy. The core product is the OM Wellness Workshop, a free 12-month virtual program that has engaged over 2,000 participants and reports an 82% retention rate, complemented by the Your Health Hub resource portal, Clinical Trial Matching services, weight-bias and treatment education resources, and the Ask Your Employer Toolkit for workplace insurance coverage advocacy. The organization also operates Parlons Obésité, a French-language division launched in Montreal in October 2024 to serve Quebec and Francophone Canada.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its digital footprint consists of a WordPress-based website (obesity-matters.com), Zoom-delivered workshop sessions, a clinical-trials eligibility questionnaire, and standard community tools (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, email newsletters). All programs are free to participants. Operating revenue is generated through individual donations and corporate sponsorships from multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare companies—Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Bausch Health as Core-tier partners, with supporting partners including Nestlé Health Science (Optifast), Desjardins Insurance, Danone, and Healthing.

Obesity Matters claims a community of more than 35,000 members across Canada, a 12M+ global digital reach, and outcome metrics including an 88% increase in participant confidence, a 36% reduction in self-blame, and 91% of participants reporting community support. In September 2025, the organization received the UN Inter-Agency Task Force Award on Non-Communicable Diseases for excellence in obesity prevention and management, presented at the 80th UN General Assembly. Its competitive positioning is anchored by a patient-led, lived-experience model and bilingual national reach that are difficult for clinical or commercial entities to replicate.

Name

Obesity Matters

Legal name

Obesity Matters

Website

https://obesity-matters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Obesity Matters is a Canadian not-for-profit founded in 2020 that delivers free education, peer-led community support, and policy advocacy for individuals living with obesity, serving 35,000+ members across Canada via bilingual programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Obesity Advocacy and Patient Education Services

NAICS

Diet and Weight Reducing Centers (812191)

akta.pro primary industry

Weight Management & Behavior Change Education (EDAAAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate/Workplace Nutrition & Weight Management Programs (HSADAFAO)

Keywords

• Obesity education
• Patient advocacy services
• Wellness community programs
• Chronic disease resources
• Weight management support

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Obesity Matters relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations to fund its programs, educational initiatives, and advocacy efforts. The organization accepts donations through its website and has a dedicated donation page explaining how contributions support access to free educational materials, community support, and advocacy campaigns.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: The organization receives support from pharmaceutical and healthcare companies including Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bausch Health, Nestlé Health Science (Optifast), and others. These corporate partnerships help fund wellness workshops, educational programs, and events. The partnerships are disclosed on the organization's website with partner logos displayed.
3. Event Sponsorships: The OM Wellness Workshop series and annual summits are sponsored by healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Sponsors receive visibility and brand association with the organization's educational initiatives and community events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Obesity Matters is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that provides free obesity education, peer-led community support, and policy advocacy for individuals affected by obesity. It delivers a free 12-month virtual OM Wellness Workshop, an online resource portal (Your Health Hub), clinical trial matching, workplace coverage advocacy toolkits, and the annual Your Health Matters Summit, along with a French-language division (Parlons Obésité) serving francophone Canada.

Product overview

Obesity Matters operates as a not-for-profit advocacy organization offering a multi-pronged service portfolio centered on education, community support, and advocacy for individuals affected by obesity. The core offerings include the OM Wellness Workshop, a free 12-month virtual program with educational sessions, support circles, and cooking/movement demonstrations; the Your Health Hub centralized resource portal; and Clinical Trial Matching services. Additional offerings include the annual Your Health Matters Summit, advocacy toolkits for workplace benefits, weight bias education, obesity treatment information, policy briefs, and community forums. The organization also operates Parlons Obésité, a French-language division providing bilingual services across Canada. The portfolio is organized around three strategic pillars: Education, Community, and Advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OM Wellness Workshop: Award-winning 12-month virtual wellness workshop program providing education, peer support, and practical skills for individuals living with obesity.
• Your Health Hub
• Your Health Matters Summit

Products and services

• OM Wellness Workshop A free 12-month virtual wellness program delivering expert-led educational sessions, peer support, and cooking and movement demonstrations to help participants understand obesity as a chronic condition, navigate treatment options, and build sustainable health habits. Delivered via Zoom webinar for individuals living with obesity.
• Your Health Hub A centralized online support network providing obesity management resources, specialized programs, insurance coverage options, and community connection tools for individuals dealing with obesity.
• Clinical Trial Matching A service that connects individuals living with obesity to ongoing clinical trials in Canada, providing an eligibility questionnaire and study matching facilitated in partnership with clinical research organizations.
• Ask Your Employer Toolkit A downloadable advocacy toolkit with customizable coverage request letter templates, conversation guides, and infographic materials that help employees request obesity medication coverage through their workplace benefits plans.
• Your Health Matters Summit An annual in-person summit that brings together healthcare professionals, advocates, researchers, industry leaders, and individuals living with obesity for a day of education, networking, and community connection.
• Parlons Obésité (French Division) The French-language division of Obesity Matters, offering the same suite of education, community, and advocacy services to Quebec and Francophone Canada, including a French wellness workshop program.
• Parlons Santé & Bien-être Workshop A French-language version of the wellness workshop series, delivered as a free 12-month program with bilingual support for francophone participants in Canada.
• Policy Briefs Advocacy documents and policy recommendations published by the organization for improving obesity care and recognition at governmental levels in Canada.
• Pourquoi attendre? La santé à portée de main Documentary A documentary produced in partnership with Obesity Matters focused on chronic disease prevention through holistic health approaches, with public screening events for francophone audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% participant retention rate in OM Wellness Workshop
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Novo NordiskcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNovo Nordisk is a major pharmaceutical partner supporting Obesity Matters' educational programs, wellness workshops, and community events. The partnership helps fund free programming and extends reach through co-sponsored educational content on obesity treatments and management.
• Eli LillycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEli Lilly supports Obesity Matters through event sponsorships and educational program partnerships. The collaboration focuses on advancing obesity awareness and treatment access through shared educational initiatives.
• Boehringer IngelheimcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoehringer Ingelheim partners with Obesity Matters to support the French-language programming (Parlons Obésité) and wellness workshop series, contributing to the organization's bilingual mission.
• Bausch HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBausch Health provides sponsorship support for Obesity Matters events and programs, including the OM Wellness Workshop series and annual summits.
• Nestlé Health Science (Optifast)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNestlé Health Science supports Obesity Matters through event sponsorships and educational content partnerships related to medical nutrition and weight management.
• AAA Clinical ResearchsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAAA Clinical Research partners with Obesity Matters to facilitate clinical trial awareness and patient recruitment, connecting community members with research opportunities.
• HealthingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthing supports Obesity Matters as a health-focused partner, contributing to wellness workshop sponsorships and community health initiatives.
• Desjardins InsurancesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDesjardins Insurance supports Obesity Matters' mission to improve access to obesity treatments, particularly through workplace benefits advocacy and insurance coverage resources.
• DanonesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDanone supports Obesity Matters through event sponsorships and nutritional education partnerships, contributing to the organization's holistic approach to wellness.
• Toronto RaptorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Toronto Raptors partnership supports Obesity Matters' community engagement initiatives and helps amplify awareness messages, particularly related to physical activity and inclusive sports programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Obesity Federation: Global umbrella body for obesity organizations that convenes policy, research, and advocacy. Broader in scope than OM, but operates the same chronic-disease-recognition and policy advocacy playbook at a global level.
• European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO): European federation of obesity research and clinical organizations. Broader and research-led, but engaged in parallel policy and chronic-disease recognition work across Europe.
• The Obesity Society: US professional/scientific society focused on obesity research, treatment, and education. Broader and more clinical/academic in orientation, but operates in the same obesity-education ecosystem.
• Obesity Medicine Association: US-based clinical association for clinicians treating obesity. A broader incumbent focused on the clinician side of obesity treatment, complementary to OM's patient-led community model.

Direct peers

• Obesity Action Coalition (OAC): US-based patient-focused obesity advocacy nonprofit offering education, community, and weight-bias awareness programming. Closest functional analog outside Canada given similar lived-experience-led, awareness-and-advocacy orientation.
• Obesity Canada: Canada's leading obesity research, education, and advocacy organization. Directly comparable as the domestic peer focused on obesity as a chronic disease, with overlapping national advocacy and clinician/research engagement missions.

Regional players

• Obesity UK: UK-based obesity charity providing peer support, information, and advocacy for people living with obesity. Comparable community-and-advocacy mission but operating in the UK/NHS context.
• National Obesity Forum (UK): UK independent charity raising awareness of obesity and its effects. Comparable national-advocacy orientation with a different patient/support programming mix.
• Obesity Policy Coalition: Australia-based advocacy coalition focused on preventing obesity and addressing weight stigma through policy. Comparable advocacy-and-stigma-reduction mission in a different geography.

Emerging players

• Diabetes Canada: Large Canadian chronic-disease nonprofit adjacent to obesity given the metabolic overlap. Not a direct competitor, but a comparable peer in Canadian chronic-disease advocacy, fundraising scale, and policy influence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ObesityMatters
• Facebookfacebook.com/obesitymatters2us
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/obesity-matters
• Instagraminstagram.com/obesitymatters2us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Obesity Matters