Symposia

Discover the invaluable lessons learned from large and rapid weight losses obtained by very-low-calorie-diets and metabolic and bariatric surgery, and how they can help health care professionals navigate the potential risks associated with highly effective anti-obesity medications.

Discover the clinical impact of obesity on women’s reproductive health. Explore strategies for addressing obesity in pre-conception, pregnancy, and perinatal phases, and optimizing care for patients with PCOS. Learn how successful obesity treatment improves fertility, minimizes complications, and enhances overall well-being for mothers and children.

When we think of improving treatment adherence, we often think of the behavior changes needed, not the factors that can hinder healthy behaviors. This session will discuss what we know, what we don’t know, and where we should go in integrating social and medical care.

Discover how insights from non-food policy domains can inform robust obesity prevention policies. Learn from successful approaches in smoking, vaping, alcohol use, and diet to maximize population health and equity benefits.

Join this insightful session that addresses the pressing issue of obesity within transgender and gender-diverse populations. Discover the distinct physiological and hormonal changes that contribute to weight challenges in this community. Gain a deeper understanding of the psychological, behavioral, and discriminatory factors that play a role, including a patient sharing their personal experiences.

Join this engaging session where experts debate the role of food as medicine in addressing obesity and improving nutrition-related diseases. Explore the latest research and gain valuable insights into the potential benefits and limitations of this approach. Reassess your perspectives at this thought-provoking discussion.

This session will highlight screening and management options for pediatric obesity by experienced clinicians, with a special focus on family-based, evidence-driven interventions.

Join us to discover the truth about whether ‘snoozers’ really ‘lose’ in this thought-provoking symposium. Uncover the links between sleep, circadian rhythm, and obesity. Explore the impact of sleep duration on weight regulation, energy balance, and metabolism in adults and children.

Join us for an insightful session on minimally invasive procedures for weight reduction. Discover the scientific evidence, mechanisms, and outcomes associated with endoscopic and intervention radiological techniques. Explore best practices for the medical management of periprocedural patients.

The Obesity Journal Symposium and the accompanying special section of Obesity are designed to showcase top papers that represent the multidisciplinary research areas published by the flagship TOS journal. For the annual competition, the editorial team selects innovative papers that provide important insights into preventing and treating obesity.

Join the revolution – the evolution of obesity care! Learn about innovative delivery models and the crucial role of primary care in tackling obesity as a chronic disease. Be at the forefront of this revolution and discover how to provide the best care for your patients.

The session will explore unique considerations of obesity management in special patient populations. Experts will describe clinical considerations and challenges of treating patients living with lipedema, those with developmental delay, and patients with physical disabilities.

During menopause, hormonal shifts contribute to metabolic changes, often resulting in weight gain. Join us for a session that delves into the science behind weight changes in menopause, explores body composition shifts, and discusses strategies to optimize the management of obesity. Empower your patient care with knowledge to help your patients maintain a healthy weight and overall well-being during this transformative phase in women’s lives.

With new anti-obesity medications approaching the effectiveness of bariatric surgery, it’s time to reconsider our patient counseling approach. Hear from clinical experts as they passionately debate the pros and cons of each approach, empowering you to make informed decisions with your patients.

Anti-obesity medications are highly effective at inducing weight loss. What do we still need to learn about using these medications for the long-term management of obesity? Hear from clinical experts and a patient who will share their own experiences to help guide your clinical practice.

Specializing in obesity medicine is not only rewarding, but also highly profitable. This session will guide you through the business dynamics of the field, showcasing a successful practice model that thrives on innovation. The session will also discuss integrating clinical trials into your practice to offer patients access to the latest treatments under development. Don’t miss the chance to elevate your practice to the forefront of obesity care.

Unlock the transformative power of exercise in addressing metabolic diseases and obesity! Experts offer insights into the physiology of exercise for individuals with obesity, exploring current guidelines and the body’s response to weight loss. Gain insights into the molecular adaptations occurring during exercise and elevate your understanding of the dynamic relationship between exercise and health.

The development of highly-effective anti-obesity medications has highlighted ethical and economic challenges, particularly regarding health equity. High drug costs and a lack of insurance coverage pose significant barriers to access, disproportionately affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged populations who are already more susceptible to obesity and its health complications. Who should bear the responsibility of ensuring that these potentially life-saving treatments are accessible to all, regardless of income?

Unlock the potential of integrating healthcare and nutrition as a powerful approach to obesity care. Join us for an enlightening session where healthcare professionals will explore innovative strategies such as shared medical appointments, healthy food pantry programs, and the practical application of medically tailored meals. Don’t miss this opportunity to add new strategies to your treatment toolbox.

Coming Soon.

Communities along the United States-Mexico Border are home to diverse peoples from many backgrounds. These people often have unique challenges with access to nutrition, healthcare, and resources, beyond simple barriers of language and affordability. This session will outline the current knowledge of the challenges that these communities face that may impact their risk for obesity and related complications. Leading experts will discuss lessons learned from treating type 2 diabetes in similar populations by using novel strategies and a community health approach. Finally, academic leaders with experience in establishing clinics in underserved border communities will discuss how to create successful programs that meet the need of these vulnerable populations.

This session is a joint collaboration between The Obesity Society (TOS) and the Federacion Colegiada de Obesidad y Metabolismo de Mexico (FECOMEX).

With obesity projected to affect one-third of US adults over 65 by 2040, effective weight loss strategies for older adults are crucial. Explore the physiology of new weight loss strategies in older adults that are aimed at effectiveness and feasibility for achieving both weight loss and preservation of muscle mass and metabolic health.

Coming Soon.

Delve into the pressing issue of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and the emerging concern of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in Latin American countries. MAFLD is of special concern in Latin-America, where its prevalence is one of the highest globally. Explore the rapid transition from undernutrition to obesity and gain valuable insights from a pilot Mediterranean diet-based intervention study conducted in Chilean adults. We will discuss about epidemiology, higher susceptibility in this population, and management of this condition from a Latin American perspective.

Join us as leading experts examine the ripple effects of maternal health and diet on a child’s neural control of metabolism. This basic science symposium is targeted to neuroscientists as well as clinicians seeking to understand the science that may lead to transformative early interventions. Explore the nexus of genetics, environment, and nutrition that’s reshaping pediatric care. Led by NIDDK Office of Obesity Research.

Some people respond remarkably well to the newest weight loss medications, losing substantial weight at even the lowest doses. However, others do not lose substantial weight at all despite adhering closely to these new medications. Still others cannot tolerate these medications due to profound gastrointestinal symptoms. What accounts for this immense heterogeneity, and what more must be learned about the gut-brain axis to explain this? Exploring the wider spectrum of gut derived inputs that impact the brain to control hunger, satiety, and energy balance is essential if we are to expand the array of effective approaches to lower excess body weight for those who need it and move beyond the current GLP-1 era and into an even more widely effective future one.

It is just as important to consider factors that impact successful implementation as it is to recognize when the de-implementation of ineffective interventions are needed. Join this session to hear the latest research and lessons learned in implementation science for obesity interventions in clinical and community settings.

This session will include clinical and preclinical research focused on neurocognitive drivers of feeding and how these drivers contribute to obesity. This session was jointly produced by The Obesity Society (TOS) and the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB).

This symposium brings together leading experts to explore the effects of inflammatory and infectious processes on the nervous system and the regulation of metabolism. Discover how neuroinflammation contributes to obesity and begin to untangle the mysteries of long COVID.

Natural experiments provide the opportunity to evaluate the health effects of community-based programs and public policies. However, there are unique challenges and considerations for these time-sensitive research opportunities. Come to this session to hear practical lessons learned in navigating community partnerships for the evaluation of obesity-related natural experiments and policies.