American Society of Bariatric Physicians Offers Clinical Obesity Medicine Expertise and Networking Opportunities during Spring Conference

This column is dedicated to providing information on the medical management of obesity, which includes diet, exercise, behavioral change, and medication.

Column Editors: Craig Primack, MD, FAAP, Medical Bariatrician/Certified Medical Obesity Specialist/Co-Medical Director, Scottsdale Weight Loss Center PLLC, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Wendy Scinta, MD, MS, FAAFP, Medical Director, Medical Weight Loss of NY, BOUNCE Program for Childhood Obesity, Fayetteville, New York; Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.

This month’s column by Heidi Gordon

Heidi M. Gordon is Director of Marketing & Communications, American Society of Bariatric Physicians, Aurora, Colorado.

Funding: No funding was provided for this article.

Financial disclosures: Ms. Gordon reports no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this article.

Bariatric Times. 2013;10(6):12.

With nearly 500 physicians and other obesity-treatment focused healthcare providers in attendance, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) recently completed the first of its biannual medical conferences this year.

The spring conference, which took place April 24 to 28, 2013, in San Diego, California, featured three courses, including a review course to help prepare physicians for the 2013 American Board of Obesity Medicine certification exam. In cooperation with the Nutrition and Metabolism Society, ASBP offered a one-day symposium of lectures specific to the topic of carbohydrate-restricted diets. Speakers during the symposium included Drs. Arne Astrup, Donald Layman, and Jeff Volek and Gary Taubes.

The highlight and most widely attended feature of this year’s spring conference was the three-day Obesity Course, which gave clinicians the opportunity to further their knowledge of the latest discussions taking place in the obesity medicine field. The Obesity Course included a keynote session by internationally known speaker Dr. Christopher Still who reviewed pertinent and appropriate pre- and postoperative medical management considerations for bariatric surgery patients. American Medical Association (AMA) President Dr. Jeremy Lazarus co-presented with his son, Dr. Ethan Lazarus, an obesity medicine physician, about specific needs of bariatricians and ways the AMA is advocating for improvement. ASBP was admitted into the AMA House of Delegates in 2001, and Dr. Ethan Lazarus is the Society’s current delegate. (Visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/ama-president-blog/road-dr-lazarus.page to read more about the obesity medicine lecture by Dr. Jeremy Lazarus in his recent blog post.)

The conference included more than 25 Obesity Course lectures and other key sessions. Dr. Daniel Amen presented on neuroimaging subtypes of obesity. Dr. Peter Attia provided an in-depth talk on cholesterol. Dr. Carel le Roux discussed how surgical treatments for obesity result in long-term weight-loss maintenance through reduction in calorie intake. He also explained how physiological changes in the reward centers of the brain driven by the peripherally generated neural and hormonal signals from the gut may mediate this effect.

Attendees also took part in patient-centered physical activity demonstrations, a recognition ceremony to honor new ABOM diplomates, and an inaugural reception during which ASBP announced The Obesity Treatment Foundation, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering, funding, and enabling research in the field of obesity medicine and educating the public. Attendees also enjoyed breakfasts, luncheons, and evening receptions, which offered opportunity to grow personal networks of medical colleagues from across the country.

The spring conference was a great success. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the ASBP 63rd Annual Obesity & Associated Conditions Symposium, October 9 to 13, 2013, at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona. The fall symposium will include the “Obesity Medicine Certification Review” course “Innovate 2013: Cultivate the Leader in You,” and an all-new “Obesity Course” with breakout sessions. Visit http://www.asbp.org/cmecertification/livecme/biannualconference.html to learn more about the fall conference.

NOTE: Recordings of lectures from the spring conference are available for purchase from the ASBP Online Store (https://netforum.avectra.com/e
Web/Shopping/Shopping.aspx?Cart=0&Site=asbp).
CME credit is available.

Category: Medical Methods in Obesity Treatment, Past Articles