ASBP Obesity Medicine e-Weekly: June 5, 2012

NOON was formed to raise public awareness about the growing adult obesity medical crisis in the United States and the need for a wide range of treatment solutions to help motivated individuals lose weight and keep it off. To accomplish this goal, NOON seeks to educate the general public about the need for innovative solutions to treat our obesity-plagued nation and support the Food & Drug Administration in exploring the promise of safe and effective weight-loss medications, helping obese individuals reduce their weight by 5-10 percent and keep that weight off. Read more about NOON.

Ready to become an ASBP leader? Call for nominations

The following leadership positions are vacant on the ASBP Board of Trustees:

Vice President
Secretary/Treasurer
Board of Trustee (three positions open)

If you are interested in pursuing one of these positions, please complete and submit the ASBP Nomination Form, then return it via e-mail to Executive Director Laurie Traetow, CPA, by June 15.

Advocacy

ASBP supports Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA)

ASBP recently joined several other health organizations in signing a letter of support for Senate Bill (S.B.) 2474, the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) of 2012, which was introduced on April 26 by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii).

According to the letter, S.B. 2472 "recognizes that additional steps must be taken to specifically address health care disparities and provides additional tools necessary to address and eliminate health and health care disparities experienced by minority and underserved communities." One version of the letter thanks original co-sponsors of the bill, and the second requests additional members of Congress to co-sponsor the bill.

The letter further reads, "As organizations committed to reducing racial and ethnic health disparities, including the subpopulations within communities of color that face multiple barriers due to factors such as immigration status, age, disability, obesity, sexual orientation, gender identity and limited English proficiency, we urge you to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation."

Other organizations that signed the letter in support of S.B. 2427 include the Obesity Action Coalition, American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society.

Education
Obesity Basic Medical Treatment Course: Indianapolis | June 23

ASBP is offering its popular Obesity Basic Medical Treatment Course in cities throughout the United States this year. The next one-day course is 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, in Indianapolis at the Embassy Suites Indianapolis-Downtown. The course, taught in Indianapolis by Dr. Brian Sabowitz and Dr. William McCarthy, provides basic clinical information and tools to effectively treat obese patients and their related conditions. Click here to read complete details about the course and additional 2012 dates and locations.

ASBP 62nd Annual Obesity & Associated Conditions Symposium: Oct. 24-28 | Orlando

Online and mail-in registration options are available for the ASBP Obesity & Associated Conditions Symposium at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando on Oct. 24-28. The symposium is comprised of two parts: the Obesity Medicine Certification Review Course* (Oct. 24-25) and the Obesity Course (Oct. 26-28), which includes breakouts so that attendees can tailor their education to meet their own needs. Attendees may earn up to 30 hours of continuing medical education (CME) by participating in the full symposium. Additional details about this event are available at www.obesitymedicineconference.org. Register by Friday, Sept. 14, and be entered into a drawing to win two 1-day Park Hopper® Option admissions to Walt Disney World® Resort! For more information about planning a trip while at the conference, visit http://asbp.orlandomeetinginfo.com/.

*Prepare for the certification exam! Attending the entire Orlando conference will fulfill the live CME requirement for the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) examination. You must register for the Orlando conference prior to the ABOM application final deadline of Sept. 14 (save $250 on the exam fee with early registration by Aug. 15) in order to make these credits valid for the 2012 ABOM examination. Simply present confirmation of payment and intent-to-attend documentation to ABOM, along with the other application requirements.

Earn up to 31 recorded CME hours

The ASBP 2012 Obesity Conference recorded continuing medical education (CME) DVDs or CDs are now available. Click to order the product that best meets your needs:

3-in-1 Obesity Conference (31 CME)
Obesity Medicine Certification Review Course (13 CME)
Obesity Course (10.5 CME)
Nutrition & Metabolism Society Symposium (7.5 CME)

Attendees of a CME activity's live program may purchase an archival copy (i.e., not valid as recorded CME credit) for $50 per course attended. Call 303.770.2526 for further details.

Resources

Obesity medicine research in the news

Medical experts have been concerned that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets like Atkins could be damaging to the kidneys; however, a recent study found that after a two-year period, the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet did not cause noticeably harmful effects on healthy obese patients' kidney function, compared to obese people who followed a low-fat diet. Click here to read the full article.

Join the ASBP Group on LinkedIn and be part of the conversation

ASBP is pleased to offer its members exclusive access to the ASBP Members-only Group on LinkedIn. The group, comprised of more than 295 ASBP members and growing each day, provides a private forum for asking questions and offering advice about issues related to obesity medicine. To join the group, follow these steps:

Visit www.linkedin.com
Sign in or create a new account
From the search window, click on "People" and change to "Groups" within the dropdown menu
Type "American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP)"
Click "Join Group"
(NOTE: Your request will be verified by ASBP staff using the current ASBP membership roster. You will receive a notice of acceptance via the e-mail account you register on LinkedIn.)

Interested in learning about how to join other ASBP social media platforms? Download the ASBP Social Media Resources Guide.

The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) is a medical professional association for physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are focused on the treatment and management of overweight and obese patients and their related conditions and co-morbidities. ASBP is the primary source for clinical education and training for the medical management of obesity.