American Society of Bariatric Physicians® Offers Clinical Obesity Medicine Education and Networking During Recent Diagnosis to Treatment 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, FACP, 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: American Society of Bariatric Physicians® Offers Clinical Obesity Medicine Education and Networking During Recent Diagnosis to Treatment Conference

By Heidi M. Gordon
Heidi M. Gordon is the CAE, is Director of Marketing & Communication, American Society of Bariatric Physicians, Aurora, Colorado.

Bariatric Times. 2014;11(4)12–13.

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

The spring Diagnosis to Treatment: Recognizing Obesity as a Disease conference was held March 12 to 16 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and featured three courses: a review course to help prepare physicians for the 2014 American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) certification exam; a one-day symposium of lectures specifically discussing the topic of carbohydrate-restricted diets and held in cooperation with the Nutrition and Metabolism Society; and an obesity course covering a broad spectrum of topics related to the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and its associated conditions.

The three-day Obesity: Diagnosis to Treatment Course gave clinicians the opportunity to further their knowledge about the latest discussions taking place in the field of obesity medicine. The course featured a keynote lecture by Drs. Harold Bays and Eric C. Westman about guidelines from the Obesity Algorithm™, presented by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Drs. Bays and Westman reviewed the algorithm’s detailed guidelines regarding specific treatment options for obesity, including pharmacotherapy, nutrition, behavior therapy, and physical activity. This session was followed by a panel discussion about the algorithm to address questions from learners. More information and a free downloadable version of the algorithm are available online at www.ObesityAlgorithm.org.

Among the more than 20 lectures that took place during the course, key sessions included the following:
• Dr. Robert Dent speaking about the barriers to weight management
• Dr. Ralph E. Carson providing insight into the neurochemistry behind binge and emotional eating
• Drs. Denise Bruner, Ed J. Hendricks, and Frank Greenway each discussing different areas of pharmacotherapy and coming together for a panel discussion with Dr. Louis Aronne about the usage of pharmacotherapy as a method for obesity treatment.

In addition to hearing from the conference’s many nationally and internationally recognized researchers, authors, and experts, attendees were able to learn about patient-centered physical activity during a hands-on demonstration; take part in a recognition ceremony to honor new ABOM Diplomates; and celebrate the one-year anniversary of The Obesity Treatment Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to fostering, funding, and enabling research in the field of obesity medicine and to educating the public, professionals, and government in the nature of obesity, including its etiologies, prevention, diagnosis, consequences and treatment. Throughout the conference attendees also had opportunities to socialize and network with medical colleagues from around the country.

The next ASBP annual fall symposium will be held September 10 to 13, 2014, at the Hilton Austin in Austin, Texas. The fall symposium will include the Obesity Medicine Certification Review Course and an all-new Overcoming Obesity Course.
Visit www.Overcoming-Obesity.org to learn more.
NOTE: Recordings of lectures from the Diagnosis to Treatment conference are available for purchase from the ASBP Online Store (http://tinyurl.com/mau9x8d). Recorded CME credit is available.

Acknowledgment
The ASBP sends special thanks to Bariatric Times for being the exclusive media sponsor of the Diagnosis to Treatment conference.

Funding: No funding was provided for this article.

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

Tags: ASBP

Category: Medical Methods in Obesity Treatment, Past Articles