“The Weight of the Nation”: HBO documentary series debuts May 14-15

The docu-series is just one element involved in the campaign to raise public awareness on the growing health, economic and social issues associated with the obesity epidemic in this country.

Features of this project consist of the nationwide distribution of screening kits, including the complete DVD box set with companion discussion guides, to 40,000-community-based organizations, a marketing campaign centering on providing healthy options at school, a potent online and social media presence and a book published by St. Martin’s Press, according to a news release.

The companion website for “The Weight of the Nation” at hbo.com/theweightofthenation contains 75 simple steps people can take to improve their health, with the “take action” portion of the site giving people the capability to pledge their commitment to stopping the obesity epidemic.

Forums utilized to share these practical steps also include social media platforms  Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and GetGlue.