ASMBS Foundation News and Update—September 2015

by Connie Stillwell

Ms. Stillwell is the Executive Director of the ASMBS Foundation.

United We Step—Registration Open. We are excited to announce that registration for the United We Step National Pedometer Challenge is now open! This one-day event was developed to increase public awareness of obesity in America and encourage individuals to expand their daily physical activities. Participants will monitor their step count on Monday, November 2, 2015, and submit their total at the end of the day. The goal is to reach a collective total of 42 million steps (20,800 miles—the boundary of the United States). The final event total will be announced at Obesity Week 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

We need your help to reach our goal and raise awareness throughout the country! Get started today by visiting www.UnitedWeStep.com and register for the event. Registration is FREE and everyone is welcome to participate. While registering, be sure to create a team for your organization and invite your patients, colleagues, and friends to join.

This event is also a fundraiser for the ASMBS Foundation. Funds raised will help the Foundation continue to support obesity research grants, educational programs, and other awareness initiatives. While fundraising for this event is not required, the Foundation will be showing their appreciation to those who take an extra step to fundraise through the United We Step Fundraising Incentive Program. To learn more about this program, check out the fundraising tab while registering.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for this event. To learn how you or your organization can help support this event, please see the sponsor tab for more information.

If you have any questions, or need help getting started, please do not hesitate to contact us at 352-332-9100 or [email protected]. With your support, we will be able to increase our outreach and inform more individuals about the disease of obesity and the treatment options available. Please see the United We Step ad in this publication.

LEAD Awards. The ASMBS Foundation’s 2015 LEAD Awards will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2015, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in conjunction with Obesity Week. Awards will be presented to those who have shown leadership, education, advancements, and dedication to the field of bariatric surgery. Nominations are now closed and the recipients for the following awards will be announced in September.
•    Outstanding Achievement Award
•    Master Educator Award presented by Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital
•    Excellence in Nutrition Award presented by Bariatric Advantage
•    Patient Safety & Quality Award
•    NEW—Surgical Innovation Award presented by Medtronic
•    NEW—Excellence in Clinical Care Award presented by Ethicon
•    Distinguished Industry Partner Award

Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the 2015 LEAD Awards. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ASMBSFoundation.org/lead, or with your Obesity Week 2015 registration. Thank you to our event sponsors! Platinum Level: Bariatric Advantage, Ethicon, Fresno Heart; Gold Level: Olympus; Silver Level: Novo Nordisk.

Walk from Obesity. The ASMBS Foundation’s Fall Walk from Obesity events will kick off this September in New York City! Join the New York area bariatric programs and special guest speakers Dr. Oz and Elvis Duran as we walk around Riverside Park to raise awareness about obesity and obesity treatment options.
To find a Walk from Obesity event in your area, please visit www.WalkfromObesity.com/events

The ASMBS Foundation also offers a free online Walk from Obesity bi-monthly newsletter featuring fitness tips, healthy recipes, and information from professionals in the field of bariatrics. To subscribe, please visit http://www.walkfromobesity.com/newsletter
Thank you to our 2015/2016 Walk from Obesity National Sponsors! Bronze Level: Bariatric Advantage, Medtronic, Ethicon, and Novo Nordisk.

Stay Connected. Visit the ASMBS Foundation on Flipboard (flipboard.com/@asmbsfoundation) for more Foundation updates and obesity news stories. The ASMBS Foundation can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
For more information about the ASMBS Foundation, please visit http://www.ASMBSFoundation.org.
The Mission of the ASMBS Foundation is to raise funds for conducting research and education, increasing public and scientific awareness and understanding, and improving access to quality care and treatment of obesity and morbid obesity.
•    Raise Funds that directly support critical research and education on obesity, morbid obesity, and metabolic and bariatric surgery.
•    Increase Scientific and Public Awareness and Understanding of obesity as a disease and that treatment of obesity and morbid obesity can prevent, improve or resolve many metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes and other diseases including cancer.
•    Improve Access to Quality Care and Treatment for Americans with obesity and morbid obesity by eliminating policy, societal, economic and medical barriers that deny people appropriate treatment and support.

The ASMBS Foundation shares the vision of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) to improve the public health and well-being by lessening the burden of the disease of obesity and related diseases throughout the world.

View a full list of funded programs by the ASMBS Foundation at http://asmbsfoundation.org/projects/.

Tags: ASMBS Foundation, Walk from Obesity

Category: ASMBS Foundation News and Update, Past Articles