Like any medication, there are certain risks associated with the use of Saxenda, the prescription weight-management medication most recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Saxenda is approved for use as an "adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity." View the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy fact sheet and the prescribing information for Saxenda. 

Understanding bariatric surgery: New video from ASMBS    

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recently released a video featuring patients who underwent life-changing bariatric surgical procedures. The purpose of this video is to help expand both physicians' and patients' knowledge about bariatric surgery. With a number of obesity treatment options available, it is important to understand how each approach fits within the continuum of obesity care, and how certain options may benefit certain patients. ASBP believes that successful weight-loss surgery outcomes can be maintained through follow-up visits with an obesity medicine clinician. View the video: "It Starts Today: How Obesity Surgery Helps People Reclaim Their Lives."

Next Obesity Basic Medical Treatment course location: Chicago   

Do you have a colleague near Chicago who doesn't currently practice obesity medicine but is interested in doing so? Tell them to register for Obesity Basic Medical Treatment. We're hosting a course in Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 28. This newly revised course introduces the different treatment options available to patients affected by obesity and provides an idea of how to approach obesity treatment. Learn more about this course. Not in the Chicago area? See a list of all 2015 dates and recommend a course in a city near you!   

1. How long have you been working in obesity medicine, and how did you get started in obesity medicine? Like many, my interest in obesity medicine is personal. I've struggled with obesity since my early childhood. Formally, I began working in obesity medicine nearly 15 years ago as a family medicine resident, where I developed a program to treat obesity within the family health center. I continued my interest into private practice, where I implemented programs within my private family medicine practice. Since that time, I've worked in and developed programs for corporate "franchise" models, free clinics, and hospital-based primary care practices.
2. What will you be speaking about at the upcoming Obesity Medicine 2015 conference in Denver, and how did you obtain your expertise on the subject? I will be speaking on the topic of insurance reimbursement for medical bariatric services. I've been known to say "no money, no mission." Successful insurance reimbursement for our services is essential to maintaining a bariatric practice and to assure patient access to excellent care. I will review the resources available and focus on the clinician that desires to add bariatric services to their existing practice. In addition, I will discuss some ancillary resources that have proven to be useful in practice. My experience in this area comes from developing and managing obesity programs in a variety of settings, including free clinics, cash-based practice, traditional primary care, and hospital-operated multi-specialty groups. 
3. What advice would you offer to clinicians who are new to the field of obesity medicine? My advice to new clinicians is first, you don't need to give up the practice of your primary specialty. In fact, your existing practice base is one of your greatest resources. And second, learn from the experienced members of the organization. You will find the advice and mentorship available to be supportive, honest, and genuinely interested in your success.

4. What excites you the most about the field of obesity medicine right now? The most exciting aspect of the field of obesity medicine is the cross-disciplinary and cross-specialty interest and collaboration in addressing this disease. Today more than ever there are more resources available to clinicians and patients. There is acknowledgement and acceptance that obesity is a complex disorder and requires multiple simultaneous modalities of treatment. This interest promotes the validation of obesity medicine as a unique discipline, which will ultimately result in better care for patients. 
5. What are your favorite ways to spend your time off? Anything that involves being close to home with my wife and two children--we love theme parks, and as we live in Florida, we have no shortage of these nearby. We also volunteer in the local pug rescue and in various ministries in our church. 

The Obesity Treatment Foundation (OTF) is now accepting letters of intent from candidates seeking a grant to fund research about some aspect of obesity medicine. Letters of intent must be submitted by April 20, should be no longer than one page, and should describe the project, including specific aims and hypotheses. Applicants should submit their letters of intent with a cover page and an NIH-style biosketch or updated CV of the principal investigator. Learn more about OTF grants and the submission process.