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Obesity Week brings together experts in obesity management, bariatric surgery

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The 33rd annual scientific meeting of The Obesity Society and 3rd annual Obesity Week will bring together leading experts in the fields of obesity and bariatric surgery to present cutting-edge research, the latest surgical interventions and valuable clinical management strategies.

The annual meeting, which will include a range of experts from both The Obesity Society (TOS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), is expected to bring approximately 5,000 attendees from around the world to the Los Angeles Convention Center in California from Nov. 2 to 6 to learn about the latest scientific and clinical developments in the obesity field. The week will include 55 oral abstracts and 273 poster presentations with 15 oral top poster presentations, as well as nine preconference courses for surgeons, three hands-on labs, live surgery sessions and eight integrated health sessions, including an MBSAQIP clinical reviewer course.

“Obesity Week is the preeminent conference that is focused on basic science, clinical application, surgical intervention and prevention of obesity,” Christian Meyer, MD, PhD, of the Translational Research Institute in Orlando, Florida, and a meeting co-chair, told Endocrine Today. “The combination of ASMBS and TOS brings together experts in various aspects of obesity, and it is really a great opportunity for education and networking opportunities.”

Attendees will have access to 5 days of scientific sessions, case presentations and workshops, as well as educational symposia.

Some of the meeting highlights:

• A pharmacotherapy forum, featuring new weight-loss supplements, devices and medications that are in clinical trials. Featured speakers include Yishai Zohar, CEO and founder, Gelesis, Adam Rotunda, MD, of Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., William H. Longley, COO, Smart Device and Lian Cunningham, MD, PhD, vice president, clinical affairs, BAROnova, Inc.

• A joint panel session on what to do with weight regain, presented by ASMBS and TOS and moderated by Ashutosh Kaul, MD, Julie M. Parrott, MS, RD, CPT and Meyer. The session will provide an overview of the mechanisms and the work-up of weight regain after bariatric surgery and discuss the use of lifestyle, medical and surgical interventions to curb weight regain. “That’s an important issue for virtually anybody,” Meyer said. “Hardly anyone keeps the weight off ... but regain varies from patient to patient. What are the interventions that can be done to ameliorate that weight re-gain? Medical intervention, how effective is it, or surgical intervention?”

• Childhood obesity interventions: Positive effects beyond physical health, chaired by Julie Lumeng, MD, and Jennifer Savage-Williams, PhD, will highlight various interventions that promote whole-child health, including behavioral and physical activity interventions.

• Key lecture on FGF21 as an endocrine signal of protein restriction, chaired by George Bray, MD, and Steven Smith, MD, and a key lecture on engineering the gut microbiome to prevent obesity by Shawn Davies, MD. “[Davies] presents data that incorporates the role of the gut microbiome ... and he also reviews the role of the gut microbiome in obesity,” Meyer said.

Additional sessions will touch on the effect of sleep restriction on caloric intake, a behavioral intervention study on the effect of family meals on body weight in youths, bariatric surgery trends and food industry trends, including the debate surrounding sugar-sweetened beverages.

In addition, attendees are invited to attend the Obesity Week joint welcome reception, held Nov. 3 at the California Science Center, a special international reception and award ceremony on Nov. 4, and the Fellows of ASBMS convocation Nov. 5, immediately followed by the After Dark Party at the Belasco Theater. Attendees are also invited to attend the premiere of the winning film from the inaugural ASMBS Film Festival Contest, “It Starts Now,” also on Nov. 5.

“You have pediatric and adult interventions, you have cutting-edge science, bariatric surgery news,” Meyer said. “Overall it’s really a great mix of sessions in this conference.”

The Endocrine Today and Healio.com staff will provide coverage from Obesity Week, including reports on the sessions described above and others, on-site video interviews and much more. For more information on the Obesity Week agenda and registration, visit www.Obesityweek.com. – by Regina Schaffer