As NAASO evolves into NAASO, The Obesity Society, the association will be getting complete creative "make-over." Preliminary work has begun on creating a new identity package including logo and brand strategy.

NAASO's new look will be based on the Strategic Plan, approved by Council in November 2004. NAASO will continue to build upon its excellent reputation and will continue to offer outstanding benefits and services to its members.

NAASO's identity change will be a deliberate and well evaluated process. A special committee has been formed to liaise with the creative designers to present NAASO with a "look" that will tell the NAASO story and maintain our association's mission and values.

Committee members involved in this creative endeavor include: Drs. Louis J. Aronne, George A. Bray, David Lau and Raul Bastarrachea.

Make plans to attend NAASO's 2005 Annual Scientific Meeting, October 15 -19, Vancouver, British Columbia.

NAASO and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) jointly produced NAASO's Annual Meeting during the past 2 years. Both organizations entered into this partnership with the understanding that the agreement would be for a limited time only. After a thorough assessment was conducted, it was agreed that it would be in the best interest of both organizations if NAASO were to plan and conduct its own 2005 Annual Meeting.

NAASO will be using the same recipe for success as in the past to ensure that the 2005 Meeting is the world's largest annual gathering of top-notch obesity scientists presenting cutting edge research. We are expecting more than 2,200 delegates from all over the world to attend the presentation of more than 900 scientific abstracts.

Call 4 Abstracts -- Coming Soon

NAASO' 2005 Annual Meeting abstract submission site will be open in just a few short weeks. The tentative abstract deadline is May 23. New updates and links to the Abstract Submission site will be posted on the NAASO Website home page.

"Best City in the Americas"
Vancouver was recently named "Best City in the Americas" by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine's Reader Choice Awards. The award was based on the categories of ambience, friendliness, culture and sites, restaurants, lodging, and shopping. Join NAASO in Vancouver where the average temperature in October is a mild 58 degrees. Vancouver is a distinctly unique city offering both indoor and outdoor adventure in a spectacular natural setting! Vancouver is also know to be a great "walking" city, so bring your walking shoes and join NAASO in Vancouver, October 15 - 19, 2005.

Website/Newsletter Editorial Transition
Patrick M. O'Neil, PhD has served as the NAASO Website Editor since 2000. Since 2002, he has also been the NAASO Newsletter Editor. Dr. O'Neil has been responsible for the tremendous growth in the NAASO Website over the years and has been an integral part of the electronic newsletter content. Dr. O'Neil has decided to take on new responsibilities within NAASO as the Education Committee Chairperson. His Website and print expertise will certainly be an asset in developing new education content and Continuing Medical Education programs for both the Web and journal. Congratulations Dr. O'Neil!

Karen Teff, PhD has been appointed as the NAASO Website and Newsletter Editor. Dr. Teff has been an active member of NAASO since 1993 and has served in on the Publications Committee, Membership Committee and has been a NAASO Council Member since 2003. Dr. Teff will oversee the NAASO Website and Newsletter content and will take an active role in NAASO's identity and branding strategy discussions and their impact on the Website. Welcome Dr. Teff!

If you have suggestions as to the types information you would like to see available on the NAASO Website or in this newsletter, we would like to hear from you. You can email Dr. Teff with your comments or email publications@naaso.org.

We value your feedback.

The December 2004 Obesity Research Supplement, Advances in the Long-Term Treatment of Obesity, offers physicians 2.0 category 1 CME credits toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. This is the first journal CME activity in the 12 year history of Obesity Research! Advances in the Long-Term Treatment of Obesity is a supplement based on a CME symposium presented at NAASO's 2003 Annual Scientific Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, FL and sponsored by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.

After reading this supplement, participants will be able to describe the nonpharmacologic approach to the management of obesity; identify different appropriate pharmacological obesity treatments; discuss current knowledge of the safety and efficacy of topiramate for treating obesity; and describe the pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome, its relationship to obesity, and potential therapy.

Advances in the Long-Term Treatment of Obesity, Obesity Research, Volume 12, Supplement 3, is available online. If you would like information on receiving a print copy of this supplement, please contact publications@naaso.org.

The International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) is stepping up its appeal for donations to support new Traveling Fellowships named in memory of Professor Per Bj=F6rntorp, one of the great pioneers of obesity research.
The Fund, established with a founding donation from Professor John Kral, is geared to provide travel bursaries for young scientists and clinicians, who might otherwise be precluded for financial reasons, to attend the International Congress on Obesity in Sydney next year.

IASO encourages friends and colleagues to join in helping establish this fund on firm footing. If you would like to contribute, or would like to receive further information, please contact Kelly Robinson.

Lbs, the film screened at NAASO's 2004 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, has just been invited to four prestigious film festivals. If you missed meeting Carmine Famiglietti and the screening of Lbs in Las Vegas, don't miss this opportunity. Lbs will be featured at:

METHODFEST Independent Film Festival, Calabasas, CA
Saturday, April 2nd (Time TBD)

PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL
Friday, April 8th at 9:30 PM
International House

FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL, Orlando, FL
Sunday, April 10th at 3 PM
Regal Winter Park Village 20
Wednesday, April 13th at 9:30 PM
Enzian Theatre

NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL
April 15th or 16th (Time TBD)
Monday, April 18th (Time TBD)

Lbs is a fresh account of one man's battle to defeat his addiction to overeating. During the course of the film, the main actor Carmine Famiglietti (who also co- wrote the film with director Matthew Bonifacio) goes through an amazing transformation, actually shedding 175 pounds during the production! CAVU Pictures will be releasing the film theatrically late this summer.

Midwest
Elizabeth Parks reports from
Michigan
Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, PhD, will leave Wayne State University, MI, in Summer 2005, to accept a position as an Associate Professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, where he will continue to work in the area of virus-induced obesity.

Minnesota
Michael Jensen, M.D., Mayo Medical Center, has been selected to receive the 2005 Robert H. Herman Memorial Award from the American Society for Clinical Nutrition. He will give a presentation entitled "Role of regional fat in splanchnic and systemic FFA metabolism" at the ASCN meeting in April. Dr. Jensen also recently gave a presentation entitled "Which fuels do you burn when?" at the February meeting of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh.

Dr. Simone French, University of Minnesota, recently received funding from the NHLBI/NIH for a project entitled, "Obesity Prevention in Metro Transit Bus Operators." This project will evaluate environmental intervention strategies at four bus garages to promote healthful eating and physical activity behaviors in metropolitan bus operators. Healthy vending machine choices and fitness equipment will be available in the bus garages and for bus drivers en route. Body weight change after two years of intervention will be measured.

The West
Judith Stern reports from
Colorado
Julie A. Marshall, Ph.D(Director of the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center and the Associate Professor of the Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at UCHSC) and colleagues are launching the Healthy Family Project. This project is a 3 million dollar randomized controlled effectiveness trial funded by NIH/NIDDK to translate what is known about prevention and control of diabetes into public health practice.

Oregon
Janet T. Peterson, Assistant Professor of the Health, Human Performance and Athletics at Linfield College is in the process of planning a community forum to bring together community leaders, community members and the press to discuss the current status of Obesity in Yamhill County. Also, Linfield College Health Education and Exercise Science are piloting a program to help reduce obesity in children in a rural community.