Obesity Advocacy with Chris and Cristy Gallagher

In this episode, host Karli Burridge speaks with the "Advocacy Power-Couple", Chris and Cristy Gallagher. Did you think they were the same person? Don’t worry, up until a few months ago, Karli did too!

Chris and Cristy discuss how softball brought them together, how they got involved in obesity advocacy, where the state of obesity treatment coverage is today, and how you can get involved to improve access to evidence-based obesity care.  

Resources and links for advocacy:

• The Obesity Action Coalition
• The STOP Obesity Alliance
• The Obesity Medicine Association
• American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
• The Obesity Society

Cristy Gallagher has spent over twenty years working in Washington DC on health, human services, and education policy.  She is the Senior Center Administrator, Redstone Center, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University. Her current work is centered on the STOP Obesity Alliance, a part of the Redstone center.  The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance is made up of a diverse group of business, consumer, government, advocacy, and health organizations dedicated to reversing the obesity epidemic in the United States. Drawing on the strengths of the collaborative, STOP conducts research, makes policy recommendations, and develops hands-on tools for providers, advocacy groups, policymakers, and consumers. 

Chris Gallagher is the OAC’s Policy Consultant and also serves on the Access to Care Committee. He has more than 30 years of legislative and lobbying experience where he has specialized in healthcare, tax and education issues. He currently manages several healthcare issues while working with different organizations, including being the lobbyist  for the Obesity Medicine Association, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society.