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Bariatric Physicians
2821 S. Parker Road
Ste. 625
Aurora, CO 80014
303.770.2526 | asbp.org
Staff
Laurie Traetow, CAE, CPA
Executive Director
laurie@asbp.org
Beth Amelon
Administrative Coordinator
beth@asbp.org
Carly Crosby
Administrative Coordinator
carly@asbp.org
Heidi Gordon, CAE
Director of Marketing &
Communication
heidi@asbp.org
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Featured Product
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The "Handbook of Obesity: Clinical Applications, Third Edition" is now on sale for $200 in the ASBP online store. This textbook is a recommended resource for preparing for the ABOM certification exam. Inventory is limited, so order today! |
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Obesity Medicine e-Weekly
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President's Column
 By Eric C. Westman, M.D., M.H.S.
I hope everyone who attended Diagnosis to Treatment found that the meeting was an excellent combination of learning and networking experiences. The final attendance count was 431--another well-attended conference! A special thanks to the ASBP staff for making the meeting such a success and to the member volunteers on the board of trustees and on the committees, task forces and special interest groups who spent time working on ASBP business. Having members involved in these groups is essential to the organization.
For those of you who were unable to be in Philadelphia, this meeting combined the Obesity: Diagnosis to Treatment Course, the Obesity Medicine Certification Review Course and the Nutrition & Metabolism Society Symposium (NMSS). Some meeting highlights:
- The Obesity Medicine Certification Review Course had 157 in attendance, and there was great interest in learning more about the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM).
- The NMSS, titled "The Second Low-carbohydrate Revolution," included a talk by Andreas Eenfeldt, M.D., describing how the low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (LCHF) is extremely popular in Sweden and has become one of the government sanctioned nutritional approaches.
- The Obesity Treatment Foundation moved another step toward its goal of supporting obesity research and education as its charter documents were finalized.
- The Obesity: Evaluation and Treatment Essentials handbook will be updated during the next year.
- The Obesity Algorithm™, presented by ASBP, will be revised and updated by Overcoming Obesity on Sept. 10-13.
As is usual at every meeting, the ASBP leadership met to discuss and conduct ASBP business. Our executive committee includes Drs. David Bryman, Eric C. Westman, Deborah Bade Horn, Wendy Scinta and Craig Primack. The board trustees are Drs. Crystal Broussard, Ursula Inge Ferguson, Ethan Lazarus, Richard Lindquist, William McCarthy and Jennifer Seger. Dr. Larry Richardson serves as the ex officio. Both the executive committee and board of trustees want to hear ideas from you in order to better serve you and the Society!
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News
 ASBP trustee attends AACE/ACE Obesity Consensus Conference
Jennifer Seger, M.D., recently attended the American College of Clinical Endocrinology/American College of Endocrinology (AACE/ACE) Obesity Consensus Conference in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the conference was to begin the process of building an evidence base for comprehensive action for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Read Dr. Seger's full account of the meeting by clicking here.
 Revised ASBP antitrust guidelines released for conduct at meetings and on LinkedIn
The ASBP Board of Trustees recently approved the ASBP Antitrust Guidelines to assist members before they engage in conversation. Discussions at biannual meetings, one-day workshops and on the ASBP Group on LinkedIn can generally involve any subject without raising antitrust concerns if they are kept free of even the suggestion of restraint of trade, or the selection of suppliers, customers or prices. Click here to read the complete guidelines.
ABOM Diplomates invited to participate in the Walk from Obesity
The Walk from Obesity campaign is welcoming Diplomates of the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) to participate at no cost. Walk from Obesity is the nation's largest gathering of individuals affected by obesity. It can be a great way to network with medical professionals as well as local community leaders and the public. If you are interested in learning more about how you can participate, contact Wogahta Woldezghi of ABOM at woldezghi@abom.org or 720.391.5216.
 Submit your abstract for presentation at the Overcoming Obesity symposiumAbstract submission for Overcoming Obesity on Sept. 10-13 is now open. Abstracts may be submitted for review as research posters and/or oral abstract sessions. Submission is free for ASBP members. The deadline to submit your abstract is July 7. Read the abstract submission guidelines, or click here to learn more.
 Apply to join the ASBP Board of Trustees
The application to join the ASBP Board of Trustees is now available for download. Five positions will become available for installation in September at the Overcoming Obesity symposium in Austin, Texas. Positions coming open include vice president (one-year term), secretary/treasurer (one-year term), and three trustee positions (each a two-year term). Email your application to info@asbp.org, or fax or mail it to the ASBP office by May 13.
 Do you want to win prizes from ASBP? Special thanks to the winner of our April Fools' Day contest, Dr. Marisa A. Censani! Want to win prizes? Answer today's poll question (in the top left corner of this newsletter) and be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of the ASBP patient database!
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Resources
Obesity Updates: Click titles to view articles
Schauer, P. R., et al. NEJM, March 2014.
The lasting metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery were recently evaluated in the three-year follow-up analyses from the Surgical Treatment and Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently (STAMPEDE) trial. This study compared "intensive" medical therapy alone, intensive medical therapy plus Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy. The medical therapy followed guidelines set forth by the American Diabetes Association to optimize weight loss and glycemic management based on the consensus algorithm for the initiation and adjustment of therapy for type 2 diabetes. After three years, the group who underwent medical therapy alone lost an average of 10 ± 19 pounds (about 4 percent of initial body weight), whereas the gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients lost 58 ± 23 and 47 ± 21 pounds (25 percent and 21 percent of initial body weight), respectively. Significantly more patients undergoing surgery met the goal of having glycated hemoglobin less than 6 percent than the medical therapy group (5 percent versus 38 percent for gastric bypass and 24 percent for sleeve gastrectomy). Quality-of-life measures were also significantly better in the two surgical groups compared to the medical therapy group. The study concluded that bariatric surgery is a potentially useful strategy for the management of type 2 diabetes, allowing many patients to reach and maintain glycemic control that otherwise would not be achievable with intensive medical therapy alone.
Ryan, K. K., et al. Nature, March 2014.
The prevailing belief in bariatric surgeries, including vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), is that they lead to weight loss and resolution of type 2 diabetes as a direct result of the stomach being made smaller and restricting the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. Given that many diabetic patients are able to stop taking their medications within days of surgery, before significant weight loss has occurred, some controversy exists about the mechanisms underlying this dramatic result. Changes in gut physiology may play a role, specifically bile acids, which are known to affect metabolism by binding to the nuclear receptor farsenoid-x receptor (FXR). A study was conducted to examine the results of VSG applied to mice with diet-induced obesity and targeted genetic disruption of FXR. The study found that the benefits of VSG did not result from the smaller stomach; rather, the metabolic improvements in VSG were associated with increased circulating bile acids and changes to the gut microbiome. And, in the absence of FXR, the ability of VSG to reduce body weight and improve glucose tolerance was substantially reduced. These results point to bile acids and FXR signaling as an important molecular underpinning for the beneficial effects of this weight-loss surgery. Given that surgery is not an attractive therapeutic option for many individuals suffering from obesity, it is imperative that molecular mechanisms responsible for weight loss and other metabolic improvements are identified so that affected pathways can be targeted in a less-invasive manner than surgery.
Suren, P., et al. Pediatrics, April 2014.
The exact causes of autism remain elusive, but one of the factors that may be related to increased autism risk is the weight status of parents. The Norwegian Patient Register (NPR) collects data on diagnoses from all hospitals and outpatient clinics in Norway. Data for all children born between 1999 and 2008 were analyzed at the end of 2012 for incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in relation to parental obesity. The study found that maternal obesity was only weakly associated with ASD risk; however, children born to fathers affected by obesity had double the risk of developing autism compared to children of fathers with a normal weight. The odds were still small: just under 0.3 percent of children with fathers affected by obesity were diagnosed with autism, versus 0.14 percent of children with fathers of a normal weight. This was the first study to link fathers' obesity to autism risk; however, it is not clear whether fathers' obesity, per se, caused the increase risk.
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Advocacy
OPM prohibits FEHB plans from excluding obesity treatment services beginning in 2015
On March 20, 2014, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a letter to all Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) Program Carriers regarding coverage of FDA-approved obesity drugs and bariatric surgery. Read more...
OCC leaders press HHS on inconsistent coverage of bariatric surgery in state health exchange plans
On March 27, 2014, Obesity Care Continuum (OCC) leaders participated in a meeting with key staff from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Health Reform and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) to discuss issues raised by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery regarding inconsistent coverage of bariatric surgery in a number of states across the country. Read more...
OCC comments on key questions for AHRQ technology assessment on obesity therapeutics
On March 20, 2014, the OCC submitted comments regarding the March 6 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Technology Assessment Program Topic Refinement draft key question document entitled, Therapeutic Options for Obesity in the Medicare Population. Read more...
Digging deeper: Why doesn't Medicare cover obesity drugs?
For almost a year now, ASBP members have advocated for passage of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). Specifically, this legislation requires the CMS to highlight and provide additional information regarding Medicare coverage of intensive behavioral counseling for obesity for seniors and their doctors. Read more...
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Education
 Save the date: Overcoming Obesity is Sept. 10-13 in Austin, Texas
Whether you are interested in obesity medicine certification or furthering your knowledge about the latest discussions taking place in the exciting field of obesity medicine, Overcoming Obesity will have something for you! This year's Overcoming Obesity symposium will take place Sept. 10-13 in Austin, Texas.
- Full Conference
30 CME | Sept. 10-13 | Register now for the full conference
Includes the Obesity Medicine Certification Review Course and the Overcoming Obesity Course. - Obesity Medicine Certification Review Course
12.5 CME | Sept. 10-11 | Register now for this course
Provides preparation for those planning to take the American Board of Obesity Medicine certification exam. - Overcoming Obesity Course
17.5 CME | Sept. 12-13 | Register now for this course
Provides a wide selection of plenary sessions focused on trending topics in obesity medicine.
Reserve your hotel room at the Hilton Austin before Aug. 19 to take advantage of the special ASBP symposium rate of $209+taxes/night!
Register now for Obesity Basic Medical Treatment; Next course in Scottsdale on April 12
The one-day Obesity Basic Medical Treatment (OBMT) Courses return this month. These courses offer 7 hours of CME and a full day's worth of information about practicing clinical obesity treatment. Click on a date and city below for registration details:
Click here to download the 2014 OBMT course brochure.
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