Writing Styles:

The OAC publishes a variety of content for different purposes. Each piece of published content should fall into one of these writing styles:

  • Informative and Expository: We use this style when publishing research, educating about the disease of obesity and breaking down the science behind obesity and weight management.
  • Narrative: We use this style when sharing member stories and showcasing the experiences of people affected by obesity.
  • Persuasive: We use this style when engaging members and supporters to take action on a specific issue, or when engaging them to get further connected to OAC and our cause.

Reading Comprehension Level:

The OAC strives to write at a 6th-grade reading level by relying on the following rules:

  • Write clearly and simply with a purpose.
  • Use common words and plain language.
  • Use brevity: Shorten the number of words in each sentence; shorten the number of sentences in each paragraph; and shorten the number of paragraphs in each published piece of content.

General Writing Preferences and Structure:

Most published content should follow some sort of template that lets readers easily navigate through the information:

    • Title
    • Introduction
    • Body content
    • Conclusion with additional links and resources

Break up content to avoid large walls of text by using clear section headings and subheadings that are bolded and higher in font size where appropriate.

Use imagery whenever possible, making sure the image is relative to the content and follows OAC diversity and web goals.

When writing out lists, use bullets for list items and indent them.

All tables and imagery aside from stock photos should include a title and/or caption to provide context.

Write positively, avoiding negative connotations and condescending language.

Avoid slang and jargon to establish a professional written presence.