Health Education Week 2020: Opportunities and Advancements in Obesity Medicine

National Health Education Week is Oct. 19 through Oct. 23 and it will shine a much-needed spotlight on the country’s top health concerns. It will also offer clinicians and other health care professionals an opportunity to empower themselves with educational resources that can bolster their ability to meet today’s biggest public health challenges.

Obesity remains one of America’s most pressing health issues — the number of adults living with the condition has skyrocketed by 200 percent over the past 40 years. However, we have made great strides in our clinical understanding of the disease, and those advancements are worth celebrating.

Today, obesity is widely accepted as a serious but treatable medical condition — significant progress from the recent past when it was viewed as a lifestyle choice, or worse, a character flaw. The American Board of Obesity Medicine has certified over 3,300 diplomats across the country. And we are on the verge of clinical breakthroughs that will transform obesity treatment, forever.

Healthcare professionals live on the frontlines of the obesity crisis. When we advance our medical knowledge, we become better equipped to help our patients achieve positive health outcomes. Engage with the following resources from the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) to expand your knowledge and stay abreast of our field’s most current understanding of the disease, treatment options and more:

Overcoming Obesity 2020 —Virtual Conference

Engage with the nation’s leading obesity experts and learn how to treat obesity in patients of all ages, genders and socioeconomic groups at OMA’s completely virtual fall conference taking place October 9 - 11. Gain practical strategies for clinical obesity management and lean into a powerful professional network of healthcare professionals. Overcoming Obesity 2020 also offers two pre-conference opportunities: The Review Course for the ABOM Exam and Building an Obesity Treatment Plan: Advanced Cases.

American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) Exam Review Course

Join the 3,300+ ABOM diplomats who have brought advanced obesity medicine into their clinical practices. OMA is one of just four organizations to provide preparation materials for the ABOM exam. This year’s edition features all-new resources to help you take the 20201 exam with confidence and earn up to 32 CME credits. Join us October 7 - 8.

2020 Adult Obesity Algorithm®

OMA’s 2020 Adult Obesity Algorithm® offers the most up-to-date information on the mechanisms, evaluation and treatment of obesity. Learn why obesity is a disease, its connection to common metabolic disorders and how to mitigate disease risk through obesity management.

2020 Pediatric Obesity Algorithm®

Childhood obesity can lead to adverse health outcomes well into adulthood. Created by practicing clinicians and pediatricians who specialize in treating infants, children and adolescents, OMA’s 2020 Pediatric Obesity Algorithm® equips health care professionals with the medical knowledge needed to make informed decisions when treating childhood obesity.

COVID-19 Resources

OMA has created a number of resources for clinicians and other health care professionals to access during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These articles, webinars, podcasts and other digital obesity medicine resources will keep you up-to-date on what the novel coronavirus means for your practice, patients and community.

Fundamentals of Obesity Treatment Virtual Course

OMA’s 2-day Fundamentals of Obesity course provides an introductory education on evidence-based approaches for evaluating, diagnosing and treating obesity in a clinical setting. Equip yourself with the tools to develop effective treatment plans for patients with obesity in your practice.

The future of obesity medicine is unfolding today. Our field has finally come to understand the pitfalls of advising the 93 million Americans with obesity to simply “eat less and move more.” We have learned the limitations of relying on body mass index (BMI) to assess overall health. We now know that physical activity alone is an incomplete prescription for obesity management. Today, there exist a number of proven pharmacological treatments for obesity with more on the horizon. And health education and awareness made it all possible.

As health care professionals, we have a shared responsibility to further our understanding of the issues facing our patients and communities. Together, we can move our field forward, for everyone.

To learn more about OMA or to become a member, visit: www.obesitymedicine.org.

Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA, Diplomate, American Board of Obesity Medicine, is the President of the Obesity Medicine Association. He is board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics and obesity medicine. Dr. Primack has been named “Top Doctor” by Phoenix Magazine since 2008. He is also the author of the book, “Chasing Diets.”