Symposia

Adipose Tissue Re-Education – Rewriting the Book on Adipose Tissue Function
Thursday, Nov. 6, 10:00-11:30 am

Adipose tissue does far more than store fat. This session explores its emerging roles in immune regulation, energy balance, and inter-organ communication. Learn how distinct fat depots act as nutrient sensors, how lipolysis and mitochondria influence behavior, and how obesity disrupts these adaptive functions.

Can the Pendulum Swing the Other Way? Exploring Potential Risk of Malnutrition in Patients Taking GLP-1s
Friday, Nov. 7, 8:00-9:30 am

Highly effective anti-obesity medications like GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP agonists suppress appetite, but may also increase risk for undernutrition. This session examines emerging concerns around malnutrition, potential mechanisms, and the role of clinical nutrition guidance in supporting safe, effective use of these agents.

Debate: Metabolically Healthy Obesity – Scientific Paradigm Shift or Medical Myth?
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1:30-2:30 pm

Explore emerging evidence challenging the notion that obesity directly causes chronic disease. This session debates whether adipose tissue expandability, not weight alone, determines metabolic health—offering a perspective on why some individuals with obesity remain metabolically healthy while others develop disease.

Debate: Should SNAP Benefits Be Restricted to Healthy Foods and Beverages?
Thursday, Nov. 6, 1:30-2:30 pm

With over 40 million Americans relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), should benefits be restricted to nutritious foods? This session brings together experts to critically examine the evidence, ethics, and implications of proposed policy changes to one of the nation’s largest food assistance programs.

Debate: The Lancet Commission – Clinical Obesity, Are You In or Are You Out?
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 3:30-5:00 pm

The Lancet Commission has proposed a new definition and diagnostic criteria for clinical obesity. This session presents key recommendations, followed by a critical debate: should the revised definition be adopted in clinical and research settings? Join the discussion on its scientific and practical implications.

Food Marketing – Effects, Interventions, and Legal Considerations
Friday, Nov. 7, 10:00-11:30 am

Food marketing shapes dietary choices, often targeting vulnerable populations. This session explores its health impacts, policy strategies to reduce harm, and the legal challenges and opportunities in regulating marketing practices.

How Much Should We Invest in Food Policy in an Era of Novel Anti-Obesity Medications?
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1:30-2:30 pm

With effective obesity medications now available, what is the role of prevention policy? This session examines the relevance of food policies-like sugar taxes and school meal reforms-in a changing landscape, and whether they remain essential alongside clinical treatments.

Know the Facts – What You Need to Know About Compounded Obesity Management Medications
Thursday, Nov. 6, 3:30-5:00 pm

With rising demand for anti-obesity medications, compounded alternatives are drawing attention. This session examines their potential to improve access, alongside key safety concerns and FDA regulatory policies-giving clinicians the evidence needed to navigate this evolving treatment landscape.

Life After Weight Loss – How Much Muscle Loss Is Too Much?
Friday, Nov. 7, 10:00-11:30 am

Weight loss isn’t just about fat. This session explores the critical role of muscle across the lifespan, how obesity affects muscle quality, and emerging research on muscle loss with GLP-1 therapy-highlighting implications for long-term health and treatment strategies.

Liver on the Brink: Optimizing Treatment of MASLD for People With Obesity
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1:30-2:30 pm

This session explores the shared and distinct mechanisms linking obesity with metabolic liver diseases like MASLD and MASH. Experts will discuss how adipose dysfunction, inflammation, and insulin resistance drive liver pathology-and how the liver, in turn, contributes to systemic metabolic disease-informing more targeted, effective treatment strategies.

Obesity and Cancer – Who’s Driving?
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 3:30-5:00 pm

Is obesity just a risk factor-or a driver-of cancer progression? This session examines how adipose tissue interacts with tumors, reshaping the cancer microenvironment. Experts will also present emerging human data on the roles of physical activity and the microbiome in colorectal cancer outcomes.

Obesity and the Kidney: Evidence to Guide Research and Practice
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 10:00-11:30 am

Weight loss can slow kidney disease progression and improve outcomes in patients with obesity. This session highlights emerging evidence across the CKD spectrum and explores opportunities for collaboration between nephrology and obesity medicine in both research and clinical care.

Overcoming Systemic Barriers – Prior Authorization Policies and Community Partnerships
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 10:00-11:30 am

This session explores strategies to improve obesity care, navigate prior authorization challenges, and strengthen healthcare-community partnerships. Learn best practices for high-quality treatment, streamline access to medical therapies, and discover effective collaborations to enhance public health and ensure equitable care for all.

Pediatric Obesity Treatment in the Era of Highly Effective Obesity Medications
Wednesday, Nov. 5 10:00-11:30 am

Obesity treatment options for children are limited, despite clear guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. This session addresses barriers such as insurance coverage, provider reluctance, and centralized care, while offering clinical guidance to pediatric providers on delivering effective, evidence-based treatments.

Precision Exercise in Persons With Obesity
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 3:30-5:00 pm

This session explores precision exercise for obesity, examining individual variability in exercise responses and the molecular changes induced by physical activity. Experts will discuss current findings and future strategies for tailoring exercise interventions based on molecular profiles to optimize health outcomes.

Ramifications of the Lancet Commission’s Definition and Diagnostic Criteria of Clinical Obesity on Public Health and Policy
Thursday, Nov. 6, 8:00-9:00 am

This session explores the Lancet Commission’s new definition of clinical obesity, examining its potential impact on healthcare, policy, and treatment access. Experts will discuss the role of BMI, implications for reimbursement, clinical care, and the balance between scientific accuracy and practical policy implementation.

Real-World Experience of Obesity Medications – Data, Practice, and Patient Perspectives
Thursday, Nov. 6, 10:00-11:30 am

This symposium examines real-world use of obesity pharmacotherapy through large-scale prescribing data and patient-reported experiences. Speakers will identify barriers to access, analyze outcomes, and discuss strategies to improve medication use in primary care-providing clinicians with practical insights to enhance treatment adoption and align care with patient needs.

TEAM-UP – A Large Comparative Effectiveness Pragmatic Trial of Family-based Treatment for Youth with Obesity
Thursday, Nov. 6, 1:30-2:30 pm

Get an early look at results from the PCORI-funded TEAM UP trial-one of the largest primary care-based comparative effectiveness studies for childhood obesity. Learn how family-based treatment models, aligned with USPSTF and AAP guidelines, can be integrated into real-world primary care to improve outcomes and scalability.

Blackburn Symposium: The Science Behind Ultra-Processed Foods – Addiction, Health Effects and Regulatory Efforts
Thursday, Nov. 6, 10:00-11:30 am

What are ultra-processed foods (UPFs)? Are UPFs addictive? Do they cause adverse health outcomes? From practical definitions to the cutting-edge science of ultra-processed foods, leading experts will define UPF, describe their potential addictive properties, and present the latest science on the metabolic and health effects of these foods. Finally, policy experts will present regulatory options for mitigating the potential harms of UPFs.

Thriving in Later Life – Considerations in Obesity Management for Older Adults
Thursday, Nov. 6, 8:00-9:30 am

Learn how to navigate the unique challenges of obesity management in older adults, including the age-related weight paradox. Explore effective strategies like GLP-1s and 24-hour movement behaviors to improve outcomes while minimizing risks.

To Run or Not to Run, That Is the Question – Factors Influencing Motivation to Exercise
Friday, Nov. 7, 10:00-11:30 am

Exercise is a lifestyle intervention that promotes many metabolic benefits such as weight loss. However, many individuals, particularly those with obesity, find it difficult to begin or maintain a consistent exercise regimen. This session will focus on pre-clinical and clinical studies investigating biological mechanisms that regulate the motivation to exercise. with a specific emphasis on factors that target the brain.

TOS/NCCOR Joint Symposium: Obesity-related Policy, Systems, and Environmental Research in the United States
Friday, Nov. 7, 8:00-9:30 am

This session highlights NCCOR’s work advancing multisectoral, community-engaged research to reduce childhood obesity. Learn how leading funders and scientists are accelerating implementation science, policy, and systems change-and gain insights into best practices for translating evidence into effective, scalable prevention strategies.

This session is a joint collaboration between The Obesity Society (TOS) and The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR).

TOS/SBM Joint Symposium: Eating Disorders in the Context of Obesity
Thursday, Nov. 6, 3:30-5:00 pm

Obesity and eating disorders often co-occur, and risk for eating disorders increases as weight status increases. This session will cover screening for eating disorders, with a special consideration for effectively screening in those with overweight/obesity, and will cover the intersection between obesity and eating disorders in children/adolescents and in marginalized populations.This session is a joint collaboration between The Obesity Society (TOS) and Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM).

Transforming Obesity Disease Management: A Call for Systematic Change From a Multi-Stakeholder Consortium
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 8:00-9:30 am

Gain actionable strategies from a multi-stakeholder consortium committed to transforming obesity care. Learn how healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, and community leaders are collaborating to build a more timely, equitable, and integrated system-and leave with practical tools to drive change.

Treating Severe Obesity: A Multidisciplinary Perspective
Thursday, Nov. 6, 8:00-9:30 am

Managing severe obesity requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. This session explores surgical options, GLP-1/GIP pharmacotherapy, and individualized lifestyle interventions. Experts will share strategies for integrating care across specialties to improve long-term outcomes and quality of life in patients with complex obesity.

Turning Down the Volume of Food Noise
Thursday, Nov. 6, 3:30-5:00 pm

What drives ‘food noise,’ and how can we quiet it? This session explores the brain circuits behind persistent food thoughts, the impact of food cue reactivity, and how incretin-based and other anti-obesity treatments may help regulate these signals to support better weight management.

Underdiagnosed and Undertreated: Managing Disordered Eating with the Changing Landscape of Obesity Care
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 3:30-5:00 pm

Eating disorders are often overlooked in patients with obesity, yet they critically affect treatment outcomes. This session offers practical tools for identifying and managing disordered eating-before and after weight loss interventions-highlighting screening strategies, early warning signs, and the importance of integrating behavioral health into obesity care.

When Is Not Enough Not Enough? Timing of Obesity Management Medications After Bariatric Surgery
Friday, Nov. 7, 10:00-11:30 pm

The role of GLP-1 receptor agonists and other obesity medications after bariatric surgery remains unsettled. This session presents expert perspectives on continued use post-op, covering benefits, risks, and real-world challenges. Includes patient insights and evidence to inform clinical decision-making in the absence of formal guidelines.