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Greetings!
In the past 4 months, more than 3,100 professionals
have
participated in NAASO educational events. NAASO's
educational program is an unqualified success
in its ability to reach a vast number of professionals
and in delivering the highest
quality programs. In fact, an independent review of
medical education programs commissioned by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation raved about our on-
line course. You can read their direct quotes
below.
>From the lab to the office, NAASO is your best
link to
a wide variety of quality obesity education!
| Deadline Extended for CommentsNIH Draft Strategic Plan |
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Now open for scientific and public
comment
Deadline extended to April 2, 2004
As a NAASO Member and part of the community of
obesity researchers and clinicians, we encourage you
to take part in the invitation to comment on this vital
Strategic Plan.
Read the Draft and submit your
comments.
NIH's new obesity research
Website lists funding opportunuities in obesity
research along
with links to websites providing additional obesity-
related health information.
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| Online Education - "Two-Thumbs" up from RWJF |
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NAASO was selected to participate in an Expert Panel
review of existing CE/CME programs. The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation (RWJF) evaluated continuing
education programs to improve healthcare provider
practice behavior related to obesity prevention,
treatment and control.
NAASO's Office Management of Obesity
Online CME
program received rave reviews from the Expert Panel
and is considered THE Web-based CME
program! We are happy to share some direct quotes
from the panel on various program segments:
Behavior Change - "The panelists were of the
opinion
that this module was the best behavior change
component that they have reviewed ....one of the
few programs that speaks to how a provider should
follow-up on behavioral methods once a patient has
attempted the original recommendations."
Educational Value - "Again, reviewers found
that this
course is an exemplar of website medical education,
with really engaging materials that provide appropriate
learning objectives.
Practicality, Use in Provider Settings - "This is
a very
practical course ....with discussions of how to set up
the office environment. The program appears to provide
useful information that is well selected, with
comprehensive resources, and is user friendly."
Summary/Discussion - "Reviewers stated that
they
consider this the web-based program. It is easy, self-
guided, and great for physicians and residents."
Haven't checked out "Office Management of Obesity"
yet? This is like watching the Acadamy Awards with
out having seen any of the movies.
NAASO Education programs are winning kudos.
How about seeing the program? It's free, and
online, all of the time!
Log onto "Office Management of Obesity" today »
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| Around NAASO |
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New Report on the Role of Media in Childhood
Obesity
A new Kaiser Family Foundation
report, "The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity,"
reviews more than 40 studies on the role of media in
the nation's dramatically increasing rates of childhood
obesity and explores what researchers do and do not
know about the role media plays in childhood obesity. It
also outlines media-related policy options that have
been proposed to help address childhood
obesity.
To read the report
along with a webcast of a briefing and panel discussion,
click here.
Conference: Targeting Metabolic
Syndrome
Register by April 2 to receive a
special NAASO Member Discount.
NAASO is an endorsing organization of the conference,
Targeting Metablic Syndrome:
Exploring New Developments in Receptor Targets,
Pathways and Animal Models, May 3 - 5, 2004,
Boston, MA.
NAASO members mentioning the code
KY3065NAASO receive a 20% discount.
For
more information, and to register
click here.
Annual Meeting Update
Watch our Website for updated information. Tentative
Abstract Submission Deadline is mid -June. Abstract
Submission process will be opening soon! Mark your
calendar for November 13 - 17, 2004 Las Vegas!
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| Regional Notes |
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Introducing a new Regional Editor
Steven R. Smith, MD - South
Dr. Steven R.
Smith received his MD at the University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio with honors in 1988.
He completed a residency in internal medicine at Baylor
University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. After
practicing emergency and internal medicine in rural
Mississippi, he completed a fellowship in
endocrinology/diabetes at the Ochsner Hospital and
Clinic in New Orleans. He currently is an associate
professor and the Director of the
Inpatient Research Unit at the Pennington Biomedical
Research Center
in Baton Rouge, LA.
His research focuses on obesity, diabetes and adipose
tissue molecular biology. Welcome Dr. Smith by
sending your news and announcements for Regional
Notes to
smithsr@pbrc.edu
from Canada
Paul Boisvert reports that
after more than a
decade of use, Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating
is being reviewed by Health Canada to assess whether
the
guidance continues to promote a pattern of eating that
meets nutrient
needs, promotes health and minimizes the risk of
nutrition-related chronic
disease.
Canada on the Move: Step One
has gone
live since Dec 2003. 800,000 pedometers and 3 million
messages encouraging Canadian's to take more steps
are being distributed.
New Strategic Initiative in
Health Research Training in Obesity and Chronic
Disease: Target Obesity will offer the following
awards:
New Investigator Awards and Postdoctoral Fellowships
& Doctoral Research Awards
from the West
Judy Stern reports news from the Michael Schwartz
Lab, Harborview Medical Center, University of
Washington, Seattle
Dr. Michael W. Schwartz was recently elected
to the Association of American Physicians.
Kevin Niswender, MD, PhD competed
successfully for an NIH K08 and is the
proud father of a daughter born in November '03. He
also accepted an Assistant Professor Position at
Vanderbilt University.
Rick Gelling, PhD presented a symposium
lecture at the American Diabetes Association meeting
on GI Hormones, Obesity and Diabetes in December
2003.
from the East
Kathleen Keller writes:The Summer FASEB Conference
on Obesity, will be held August 7-12, 2004 in Pine
Mountain, GA.
Susan K. Fried is Chair; Steve
Heymsfield and Sam Klein are
co-chairs. Abstracts are being accepted (check
www.faseb.org for
details). Travel money is expected to be available for
those post-docs
and junior faculty whose abstracts are selected for oral
presentation.
Congratulations to Dr. Marie-
Pierre St. Onge of the New York Obesity Research
Center for being chosen for the ASCN
Young Investigator Award Competition finalist at
FASEB. She
was also the first awardee for the Council on Nutrition,
Physical Activity, and Metabolism (NPAM) New
Investigator Award.
Read complete list of Regional Notes »
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| Message from the President |
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by Barbara Corkey, PhD
What are the Causes of Obesity?
In my last message I urged a call to
action to mobilize
resources against the obesity epidemic. Understanding
the causes of obesity is critical to solving this problem.
We do not know the causes! Though you may hear
answers from many, if you demand the evidence it is
just not there. And, until we learn the answer we must
consider all possibilities, dig a little deeper, find things
that have changed but have not been evaluated as
possible links to obesity. These include anything that
may have changed since the onset of the epidemic.
The steep incidence curve that began after 1980 in
children is of particular interest owing to the
consequent morbidities. What changes occurred
around that time that could play a role? Decreased
activity and increased food density and portion size
have received recognition as possible causes. And
there may be other environmental changes including
food additives and food treatments.
We use an increasing number of food
additives and
colors in our increasingly colorful food supply. Although
the FDA has stringent requirements for all food
additives including food coloring, their testing does not
include assessing the effect of these substances on
the development of obesity. Perhaps it should and
could be easily incorporated in the testing program.
In view of the enormity of the problem
of obesity, the
enormity of the failure to understand and reverse this
problem and the billions of dollars already being spent
to ineffectively treat obesity in the US, it is critical to
underscore what we do not know. The failure to
understand this disease must be acknowledged so that
going forward there is open-mindedness to find the
answers.
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