Nearly 1,000 research abstracts will be presented on new and emerging obesity treatments, the science of weight loss, new prevention strategies, metabolic surgery, digital health technology and public policy when thousands of leading researchers, policymakers and health professionals gather for ObesityWeek 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California from November 2 - 7, 2015.
This year, top research presentations answer the following key questions - in addition to countless others - confronting obesity research and treatment:
•How much can one night of poor sleep impact weight and health?
•Does parental stress make children more likely to have obesity?
•Do certain words entice us to eat high-calorie foods?
•How many patients in the U.S. are not covered for obesity treatments?
•Can bariatric surgery help reduce weight and improve health in adolescents?
•Do your genes make you more likely to enjoy high-calorie foods?
Exploring California Obesity Policy & Care
Because the conference will be held in California, a state that leads the way when it comes to working to establish new policies intended to reduce obesity, some of the sessions and presentations will include a local focus. There will also be a free event for the public where Californians can learn about weight and health.
"Nearly 1 in 4 adults in California have obesity," says Peter D. Vash, MD, MPH, member of host organization The Obesity Society (TOS) and assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA Medical Center in private practice. "While California has one of lowest rates in the country, the rate has increased by 6 percent since 2000. Many people see obesity as a lifestyle condition; however, science tells us that obesity is a serious, chronic disease caused by many factors. It also leads to more than 30 other health conditions, such as heart disease and cancer."
Local California leaders will discuss access to care for obesity, an increasingly complex issue based on historic patterns of discriminatory health plans. Health plans not covering these services often require people living with obesity to pay out of pocket for evidence-based obesity care, or wait for the same health plans to pay for the complications of obesity. In this session, speakers will explore some of the relevant issues and progress toward better access to care.
Loel Solomon, PhD, MPP, Vice President of Community Health for Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit Program in San Francisco, CA, will offer a keynote, A Whole Person, Whole Community Approach to Obesity Prevention and Treatment. His address will focus on his work with health plan and medical group leaders to establish the strategic direction for Kaiser Permanente's multi-faceted approach to prevention and community health.
In California and around the country, there is much debate about the effectiveness of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages to help fight obesity. At ObesityWeek, experts will debate the pros and cons and offer early estimates of the success of the tax.
ObesityWeek 2015 also offers the Los Angeles community an opportunity to learn more about how weight and health go hand-in-hand, how excess weight affects child health and steps to take to improve quality of health. Hosted by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), this Your Weight Matters (YWM) local session is a free educational event. The YWMLocal - Los Angeles event offers educational information on topics such as evidence-based obesity treatment options, nutrition and dietary choices, exercise tips, excess weight in children and more.
This year, the presentation of new research and the opportunity for public education all coincide with the inaugural National Obesity Care Week (NOCW), an annual campaign comprised of more than 35 leading U.S. healthcare organizations to advance a comprehensive, compassionate and personalized approach to treating obesity as a disease. In support of the campaign, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a proclamation that names November 1- 7, 2015 as Obesity Care Week and encourages Los Angeles residents to "Change the Way We Care" by creating the foundation of open communication to break barriers of misunderstanding and stigma to improve the lives of all individuals affected by obesity.
Embargoed Research of the Highest Quality
Scientific abstracts are currently available to registered and credentialed reporters as embargoed. The embargo for all posters will lift at 9:30am PT on Wed., Nov. 4, and embargoes for oral presentations will lift at 7:00am PT on the date of the presentation. Featured TOS abstracts will be presented Tues., Nov. 3 - Fri., Nov. 6.
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