How are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) developed, and how has this process changed over time? What are key challenges and opportunities as governmental food programs work to implement the new DGAs? And what do the new DGAs mean for health and obesity? Join us in this symposium as we unpack the recent guidelines, including the scientific process behind the DGAs, implementation by programs that need to meet the new standards, and anticipated effects on participants of U.S. nutrition programs.

The Blackburn Symposium focuses on topics that were central to the work and professional passions of Dr. George L Blackburn, a past president of The Obesity Society whose distinguished career in nutrition and metabolism underpins the field of obesity medicine. The George L. Blackburn Foundation is pleased to support this symposium and the George L. Blackburn Award for Excellence in Obesity Medicine.

Food noise-persistent, intrusive thoughts about food-has emerged as an important topic across clinical, psychological, metabolic, and public health settings. This thought-provoking symposium brings together diverse perspectives to examine emerging evidence, areas of debate, and clinical implications. Explore how research insights and lived experience can deepen understanding of food-related cognition and inform treatment, equity, and future care.

As interest grows in the use of GLP-1-based therapies among metabolically healthy children and adults, important clinical, ethical, and societal questions are emerging. This thought-provoking session will examine whether benefits seen in higher-risk populations translate meaningfully to individuals without metabolic disease, while also exploring potential considerations such as growth and development in youth, population-level nutritional impacts, health equity, and responsible resource allocation. Join experts for a timely discussion at the intersection of obesity science, public health, and clinical practice.

Adipose tissue is increasingly recognized as a dynamic, highly adaptable organ with functions that extend far beyond fat storage and thermogenesis. This cutting-edge symposium will explore how healthy adipose tissue serves as an energy sensor that helps regulate whole-body metabolic homeostasis, and how adipose dysfunction in obesity can drive metabolic disease across multiple organ systems. Join leading experts for new insights into one of the most important frontiers in obesity science.

Parental obesity can influence offspring brain development and metabolic health through interconnected pathways involving metabolism, stress-related programming, and genetic susceptibility. This compelling session will highlight cutting-edge findings from both animal and human studies on how early-life metabolic environments shape neurodevelopmental trajectories. Attendees will gain deeper insight into intergenerational risk and explore emerging opportunities for prevention and intervention across the lifespan.

Skeletal muscle is central to metabolic health, yet emerging obesity treatments have raised important questions about muscle quality and preservation during weight loss. This symposium will examine muscle as a vital-and potentially vulnerable-tissue in obesity care. Explore the roles of intermuscular fat, pharmacotherapy, protein intake, and exercise in protecting muscle mass, strength, and function.

As pediatric obesity medications expand, evidence-based behavioral treatment remains an essential foundation of care. This symposium will highlight what’s new in pediatric lifestyle interventions, including treatment intensity linked to outcomes, goals beyond BMI, and adaptive approaches for children and families needing more individualized support. Explore emerging research on implementation, function, and whole-child health outcomes.

Insurance coverage for obesity medications is changing rapidly, creating new questions for clinicians, patients, and health systems. This timely symposium will review evidence on cost-effectiveness and examine recent coverage developments across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance. Gain practical insight into how these changes may shape patient access, health outcomes, and health equity.

Weight loss is often viewed as an entirely positive outcome, yet many individuals experience psychological and neurobiological changes that receive little attention. This thought-provoking session will explore how significant weight loss may affect stress responses, reward pathways, mood, identity, and emotional regulation. Learn why looking beyond the scale is essential to supporting long-term patient well-being and whole-person obesity care.

The gut and brain are in constant conversation, and that dialogue has profound implications for body weight. From how nutrients are sensed and absorbed to how appetite and feeding behavior are regulated, the gut-brain axis is a key driver of metabolic health. This session explores emerging basic and translational research uncovering the mechanisms linking the gut and brain, and how these pathways may shape the development of obesity.

‘Food noise’-the persistent, intrusive thoughts about food-can be a significant and often underrecognized driver of eating behaviors in people living with obesity. This session will explore the neurobiological and behavioral underpinnings of food noise, its impact on patient experiences and treatment outcomes, and practical strategies to address it in clinical care including measurement. Through evidence-based insights and real-world case examples, participants will gain tools to better identify, assess, and manage food noise as part of a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to obesity treatment.

This session is jointly produced by The Obesity Society (TOS) and American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) www.aanp.org.

As global populations age, managing obesity requires a shift from weight loss to functional preservation. This joint TOS/GSA/EASO symposium bridges the gap between the 2026 EASO Position Statement and The GSA KAER Toolkit for the Management of Obesity in Older Adults. Experts will discuss moving beyond BMI to evaluate sarcopenic obesity, staging clinical risks, and implementing multimodal care. Attendees will learn to operationalize the ‘6 As’ and KAER framework to provide stigma-free, person-centered treatment for older adults with obesity that prioritize muscle mass, bone health, and independence for older adults.

This session is jointly produced by The Obesity Society (TOS) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) www.easo.org, in collaboration with the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) www.geron.org.

While clinical innovations are expanding treatment options, policy, systems, and environmental approaches remain essential for population-level obesity prevention and care. This symposium will highlight lessons from NCCOR-supported projects using innovative research methods, partnerships, and outcome measures across diverse communities. Learn how these strategies can strengthen capacity and advance equitable, lasting impact.

This compelling symposium brings together leading researchers to explore the neurobiology of eating behavior-from the homeostatic regulation of energy balance to the neural circuits that shape food motivation, reward, and decision-making. Discover cutting-edge science revealing how the brain influences appetite and behavior. Gain fresh insights that can help advance the future of obesity research and treatment.

This session is a collaboration between The Obesity Society (TOS) and the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) www.ssib.org.

How can countries build lasting nutrition policies that improve population health? This symposium will explore case studies from Chile, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, highlighting multi-faceted strategies such as beverage taxes, marketing restrictions, and front-of-package labeling. Learn how these policies were developed, implemented, and evaluated-and what they can teach us about advancing healthier diets worldwide.