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American Society of

Bariatric Physicians

2821 S. Parker Road, Ste. 625

Aurora, CO 80014

office 303.770.2526 | asbp.org

 

Staff

Laurie Traetow, CPA

Executive Director

laurie@asbp.org

 

Karen Brenning

Office Manager &

Membership Coordinator
karen@asbp.org

 

Heidi Gordon

Director of Marketing &

Communications

heidi@asbp.org

 

Dana Mansell

CME Director &

Business Manager
dana@asbp.org

  

Stacy Schmidt, Ph.D.

Health Director
stacy@asbp.org

 

Anna Vanderkleed

Membership &

Exhibit Sales Manager 

anna@asbp.org   

 
Obesity Medicine e-Weekly

News

Help ASBP learn what you need to know about insurance and billing issues    

The ASBP Insurance Task Force is currently combing through a plethora of information that may be pertinent to ASBP members. As the amount of this information is daunting, and each provider has specific questions and situations, the task force compiled a brief, five-question poll so that information relevant to members' needs can be produced.  To assist the task force in meeting your needs and interests related to insurance information, please complete the survey by midnight on Monday, Oct. 1.

 

Qsymia™ now available for prescription

VIVUS, Inc., announced last week that Qsymia™, a new medication for chronic weight management in adults who are obese or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity,  is now available in the United States for prescription.  Click here to learn more about Qsymia and how to prescribe it. Also, to further answer your questions on this topic, ASBP is offering two educational sessions on Saturday, Oct. 27, during the Obesity Course in Orlando, Fla., including:

Anti-obesity Medication on the Horizon: There has been a great increase in the incidence of obesity during the past 30 years; however, there are limited advances in the pharmacotherapy of this condition. With the appearance of new obesity treatment drugs that have been or may soon be approved for use in the treatment of obesity, 2012 is a milestone year in the world of obesity medicine. This panel discussion will provide an overview of the mechanisms of action for Qsymia, BELVIQ® and Contrave®, including time for questions and answers regarding their use.

Using Phentermine, Topiramate and/or Qsymia: Phentermine and topiramate mono-therapy and combinations for obesity treatment will be discussed. Results with fixed doses (i.e., Qsymia) from clinical trials will be compared with flexible dosing. Prevalence of use among clinicians, as discovered through the ASBP 2012 Prescribing Practices Survey, will be reviewed. Long-term safety issues will be examined.

Resources
Obesity Updates: Click titles to view articles

 

Childhood Obesity and Asthma
Children with obesity are at increased risk for developing asthma, which is already one of the most common chronic diseases among children. The cause underlying obesity's impact on asthma risk is unknown. A review of potential mechanisms that explain the evidence linking obesity with asthma risk in children is presented.

Body Fat Loss in Response to Different Doses of Exercise
Without major changes to diet, exercise typically results in only modest weight loss at best, although it provides a number of other health benefits. There is promising news, though, about exercise and weight loss in a recent study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen who compared doses of aerobic exercise on body composition, accumulated energy balance and the degree of compensation. They found that a moderate dose of exercise induced a markedly greater than expected negative energy balance, while the higher dose caused lower than expected energy balance. Taking into account dietary compensation, 30 minutes of daily exercise provide an equally effective loss of weight and body mass as 60 minutes.  

BPA and Childhood Obesity
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a manufactured chemical found in canned food, polycarbonate-bottled liquids and other products. Elevated urinary BPA concentrations are associated with obesity in adults, but the relationship between BPA exposure and childhood obesity is not known.  An analysis of urinary BPA concentration was conducted in 2,838 participants age 6 to 19. Urinary BPA concentration was significantly associated with obesity in this cross-sectional study of children and adolescents.

Education

See acclaimed authors of
Hungry Planet and What I Eat on Oct. 28 in Orlando

 

ASBP is pleased to host Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio on Sunday, Oct. 28, for their lecture, Calories & Culture: A Worldwide Photographic Journey. This presentation will take a geographic and gastronomic adventure through scores of countries, revealing an unparalleled view of what people today eat around the world with personal stories, portraits, statistics and intimate details of daily life. The lecture is part of the ASBP Obesity Course (Oct. 26-28) at The Peabody Orlando (Fla.).  Please review either your printed preliminary program or download an e-copy for complete details. Also, you can click here to read more about the entire ASBP Obesity & Associated Conditions Symposium, registration details and hotel reservations. Please note that the ASBP room block at The Peabody Orlando is nearing capacity; therefore, you are advised to book your room soon to take advantage of the special conference rate. Please call ASBP if you need additional hotel recommendations once the The Peabody Orlando room block is sold out.

Advocacy  
F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012 report released
The 2012 edition of this annual report was released this month by Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and shows that the number of obese adults, along with related disease rates and health care costs, are on course to increase dramatically in every U.S. state during the next 20 years. Click here to read the report, including state-specific obesity information.
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.
ASBP offers a wide selection of member- and speaker-written books, textbooks, merchandise and CME programs, which are available from the ASBP Online Store or by contacting ASBP office at 303.770.2526. Each issue of Obesity Medicine e-Weekly features an available product.
 
Click image to buy. Price: $40 / each book
BooksHungry Planet: What the World Eats
What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets

 

In Hungry Planet, the authors present a photographic study of families from around the world, revealing what people eat during the course of one week. Each family's profile includes a detailed description of their weekly food purchases; photographs of the family at home, at market, and in their community; and a portrait of the entire family surrounded by a week's worth of groceries. What I Eat provides thought-provoking portraits of individuals around the globe and the food that fuels them over the course of a single day.

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Under a policy approved by the ASBP Executive Committee and Exhibitor/Advertiser Review Committee, commercial companies may apply to advertise in society publications. Approval does not imply ASBP's endorsement or official recognition of particular products and/or services. This policy also applies to books and products marketed on behalf of ASBP members.