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TOS
 Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year! Now that 2015 is behind us, planning for ObesityWeek 2016, Oct. 31 – Nov. 4 in New Orleans, has accelerated. Later this month, TOS's Annual Programming Committee will meet in-person to finalize the program for the 2016 meeting. Thank you to everyone who submitted suggestions for topic areas, symposia and potential speakers for ObesityWeek 2016. The Annual Programming Committee is reviewing your suggestions and will work them into the program as they are able.
As for ObesityWeek 2015, I'd like to take a moment to highlight a few of the enduring resources at your disposal. Though the excitement from the meeting has died down, the knowledge shared at the meeting lives on in a few key places.
First, I recommend taking a look at the Potential Contributors to Obesity Infographic that was unveiled by TOS Immediate Past-President Nikhil Dhurandhar, PhD, FTOS, during the ObesityWeek 2015 Opening Session. The infographic is intended to represent the complexity of potential contributors to obesity by highlighting the breadth of topics that have been considered a question for investigation in the scientific literature. While the infographic is not intended to evaluate whether these are or are not contributors, or their relative importance, we hope it will broaden the public dialogue and stimulate ongoing research. We hope you will consider including the infographic in your presentations and sharing it on your social media channels; all we ask is that you do not modify it and that you fully attribute it to TOS. We are also seeking feedback on this infographic so it can evolve as new research becomes available. You can download the infographic (as a JPG, PDF, and/or PowerPoint slide) and submit your feedback at ObesityInfographic.org.
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TOS
In late December 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the creation of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP) to enhance the effectiveness of dietary supplement regulation. This program was previously a division under the Office of Nutrition Labeling and Dietary Supplements. According to the FDA, "Elevating the program will raise the profile of dietary supplements within the agency, and will enhance the effectiveness of dietary supplement regulation by allowing ODSP to better compete for government resources and capabilities to regulate this rapidly expanding industry."
The elevation of this program comes just two months after TOS issued a position statement calling for FDA regulation of dietary supplements sold as medicinal or curative, with signatories from the Obesity Action Coalition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“While we acknowledge that there may be effective dietary supplements on the market, there is a clear need for long-term data showing the benefits, safety and effectiveness for these unregulated treatments claiming weight management,” said Steven R. Smith, MD, TOS past-president and Chief Scientific Officer at Florida Hospital, Orlando, when discussing the position statement.
Find out more in the press release and position statement.
TOS
In the aftermath of the holiday season, many of us are feeling the frustration with maintaining weight. After the New Year, losing extra pounds gained over the holidays is not the biggest challenge – it's maintaining that weight loss over the long term that can be the most difficult, say researchers.
To create a more complete picture of why keeping the weight off is so difficult, the Trans-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Committee on Genes, Behavior and Response to Weight Loss Interventions (National Cancer Institute; National Health Lung and Blood Institute; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research) created a Working Group to better understand how genes affect weight, both at behavioral and biological levels. The Working Group focused on genetic factors leading to weight loss and weight regain and identified future research directions and opportunities for incorporating new weight-loss treatment strategies. The group summarized their findings in a review published in the January 2016 issue of Obesity.
Why genes? Previously, researchers identified that response to weight-loss strategies varies widely among individuals, and that genetics may play a key role in the effectiveness of various treatments. Further, studies have identified 150 genetic variants tied to body mass index (BMI), waist circumferences or obesity risk. However, little is known about the genes that determine why some people lose weight more easily than others. The main reason to study the genetics of weight loss and weight maintenance is to understand the biology that underlies body weight regulation, which is needed to develop more efficient and targeted intervention strategies and medication.
Read the full study here, the commentary here and TOS's press release here.
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TOS
TOS recognizes that professionals early in their careers are the future of TOS. Therefore, we are pleased to now offer a membership category that distinguishes those of you who have recently completed your degree and have started your professional career.
Post-doctorates, medical residents, clinicians-in-training, scientists-in-training, junior faculty, and any others who have completed a doctoral or medical degree within the past five years are eligible to become an early career member. Early career members can hold office and committee positions, vote for amendments to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, and elect officers and committee members. To find out more information or to join TOS, please visit our website here.
Contributed by the USPSTF
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently posted a draft research plan for public comment on Behavioral and Pharmacotherapy Interventions for Weight Loss to Prevent Obesity-Related Morbidity and Mortality in Adults. The USPSTF is encouraging all TOS members and stakeholders to review the draft research plan and submit comments by January 13, 2016.
The purpose of the public comment process is to seek feedback from organizations like TOS, along with the general public, at each stage of development for Behavioral and Pharmacotherapy Interventions for Weight Loss to Prevent Obesity-Related Morbidity and Mortality in Adults. Members of the Task Force will carefully review all submitted comments and take them into consideration when finalizing the research plan, evidence review and, eventually, the recommendation statement. The Task Force believes that soliciting outside input will help to ensure that the final recommendation is valid, reliable and useful to health professionals, patients and family members.
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Contributed by ABOM
The 2016 American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) Exam testing window is December 3-10, 2016. The American Board of Obesity Medicine Certification Exam will be offered at computer-based testing centers throughout the United States and Canada during this period. Find out more about the exam here.
2016 Application Deadlines:
- Early application deadline: July 12, 2016 ($1500 fee)
- Final application deadline: Aug. 30, 2016 ($1750 fee)
Learn more about ABOM exam eligibility requirements here.
Contributed by the OAC
The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is pleased to accept applications for interested speakers and topic ideas for the 2016 Your Weight Matters National Convention, August 25-28 in Washington, D.C. The OAC’s National Convention is the nation’s leading patient educational conference designed to present evidence-based weight management strategies from the country’s leading experts in weight and health. This three-day educational conference will offer more than 50 educational topics all geared toward the everyday individual concerned with all topics relating to weight and health.
The OAC welcomes the input and interest from the members of TOS and invites any interested speaker to submit their application and/or topic ideas to the Convention Program Agenda Committee, led by Dr. Robert Kushner. All topics submitted must appeal to a patient audience and should be directed at the everyday individual interested in evidence-based weight management strategies. In addition, all OAC Convention Speakers are selected based on their expertise and respective credentials, where applicable.
Complete submission information is available here. All interested speakers and topic suggestions must be received no later than Friday, Jan. 8. The OAC looks forward to receiving your inquiries!
Contributed by TOS Early Career Committee
Eric Ravussin, PhD, FTOS |
It's time for another edition of the Q&A interviews with TOS Fellows! This is the perfect opportunity to get to know leaders in the obesity field a little better and learn more about their personal lives outside of work. Here are some questions and answers from our interview with TOS Fellow Eric Ravussin, PhD, FTOS, Editor-In-Chief of the Obesity journal and Associate Executive Director at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Q: Will you tell us about your current work and your professional developmental trajectory?
A: I am an expert in conducting translational research in obesity and diabetes. I have conducted numerous clinical investigations on measures of energy balance and carbohydrate metabolism in obese and diabetic participants. Over the past 14 years, I have established a wet lab studying muscle and adipose tissue to try to understand the cross talk between these two tissues as determinants of whole body nutrient partitioning and insulin sensitivity. I have published more than 430 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the field of obesity, type 2 diabetes and aging. I have mentored more than 50 postdoctoral fellows.
Q: What aspects of obesity research are the most exciting to you right now?
A: The translation of the research into public health policies.
Q: What advice do you have for today's junior obesity researchers?
A: Hang in there or "fail fast."
Q: What are your favorite things to do when you're not at work?
A: Travel and exercise.
Read the rest of the interview with Dr. Ravussin here.
Philly.com
Diane R. Girardot writes: "I was a fat shamer. But not anymore.
The start of a recent conversation with a 13-year-old client – considered obese by body mass index (BMI) standards – illustrated my change of heart.
'People aren't meant to be this large,' she said of herself in a matter-of-fact tone. It sounded like she was imprisoned in shame and saw no way out."
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The Washington Post
The most recent official data on obesity were a shock. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 38 percent of American adults are technically obese, up from 35 percent in 2011-2012 and 32 percent in 2003-2004. Why can't we get this crisis under control?
It sometimes seems as though we've tried everything: steps by food producers and restaurant chains to reformulate their offerings, self-restraint by companies regarding junk food and soda ads, calorie counts on menus, more nutritious lunches at schools and a high-profile advocacy campaign led by a popular first lady, Michelle Obama.
But, in fact, we haven't tried everything.
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The Villages Daily Sun
Imagine if something so simple could wipe out an array of diseases.
Experts say an actual solution exists if we could conquer the most blantantly visible, yet fiercely neglected, public health crisis of our generation — obesity.
This weight stigma turned disease, obesity is implicated in much more than larger waistlines and shortness of breath.
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Endocrine Today via Healio
Vitamin D status, seasons and geography may affect outcomes of bariatric surgery, according to recent findings published in Obesity Science & Practice. Patients who underwent surgery during winter and those who live in the northern U.S. experienced worse outcomes than those undergoing surgery during summer and those living in the south, according to the researchers.
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Pulse Headlines
A new study published online in the journal Obesity, explains how genetics is one of the most important factors when designing a diet for gaining or losing weight, since each person has certain conditions which are relative and can interfere in the way they process the food. It appears that new DNA-based diets will be available by 2020.
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Fox News
New research shows that not getting enough sleep could increase your risk of overeating and obesity. The study suggests that sleeping for less than seven hours could boost "distracted eating" and cause a larger intake of calories. Those who sleep for a shorter amount of time eat almost nine minutes per day more than those who sleep longer.
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Medical Daily
As the year comes to a close, many people will make New Year's resolutions that are certainly doomed to fail. One of these will undoubtedly be "to lose weight." And with rising obesity, rate's it would make sense more people are aiming for this goal. A recent Gallup poll, however, suggests otherwise; less than half of Americans actually want to lose weight.
For the first time in 25 years, only 49 percent of Americans reported the desire to diet. This is far lower than the 62 percent who reportedly wanted to lose a few pounds in 2004.
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