The Obesity Society Newsletter



The Obesity Society Newsletter		Volume 5: Number 5 May 2007

In this issue

· News of New Orleans

· President's Message from Eric Ravussin, PhD

· Registration Now Open for the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting

· ABPNS Exam

· Deputy Director Position Open at NIDDK

· The Obesity Society Awards Program

· New Investigator Research Grants

· Remember, Our Name has Changed

· Member News

President's Message from Eric Ravussin, PhD

Dear Colleagues and Members,

The month of May has been extremely busy for The Obesity Society. Let me extract some of the major events which should be of interest to the entire membership of the Society.

The program for 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting to be held in New Orleans, October 20 - 24, 2007 was finalized. Under the leadership of Andy Greenberg, MD, the program has a lot of depth and more than 90% of the invited speakers are now confirmed to present their latest work. As an innovation, all registered participants will be provided with lunch during the meeting. All attendees are invited to an opening reception on Saturday and to an evening party on Monday night called "A Taste of New Orleans". This party is organized by a local committee under the leadership of Donna Ryan, MD. Please visit The Obesity Society's Annual Scientific Meeting website to learn more about meeting preparations and to download a copy of the Advance Program. As a reminder the deadline for submission of scientific abstracts is Tuesday, May 22, 2007.

The Council and Chairs of the different committees met in early May for a retreat in Alexandria, VA. Along with the usual business of a council meeting, four major outcomes were achieved at this retreat.

First, Nature Publishing Group will publish Obesity. After an intense search for the ideal publisher, the Publications Committee, under the leadership of Melinda Sothern, PhD, and the Executive Committee, with the professional help of our consultant, Morna Conway, determined that Nature Publishing Group had the best vision and presented the best proposal to take the journal to new heights. The major concern for our Society was potential competition with the International Journal of Obesity, which is also owned by the Nature Publishing Group. However, after lengthy discussion, the entire Council was convinced that Nature Publishing was the ideal partner for publishing the journal.

Second, Richard Bergman, PhD, will become the new Editor in Chief of Obesity starting July 1, 2007. A scientific journal is shaped not only by the quality of the work submitted from researchers like you, but also by the vision and the leadership of the Editor in Chief. Over the past five years, Barbara Corkey, PhD, implemented several important improvements that raised the quality of the journal and we owe her and her editorial board our gratitude. The journal expects more than 1,000 submissions over the next 12 months. After contacts with many candidates, Gary Foster, PhD and his committee came to the conclusion that Richard Bergman was the ideal candidate for this position. Dr. Bergman is enthusiastic about collaborating with Nature Publishing to implement more improvements and to maintain the status of Obesity as the prime journal and improve the impact factor to new heights.

Third, the adoption of a $3.2M budget for the society. The first major change will be a switch from a yearly $150,000 loss from Obesity to a net gain of approximately $200,000. The Society will also hire a part-time Director of Administration and a full time Director of Development. The development position will allow the Society to grow and develop new strategies to help potential benefactors who want to help reverse the tide of the obesity epidemic and its threat to the public healthcare system. It is indeed sad to think that babies born today are likely to have shorter lives than their parents or grandparents because of obesity and its related conditions.

Finally, an important note was the desire from the entire Council to improve the funding for young investigators as well as promote partnering with corporate sponsors to create a mid-career investigator award.

With less than one week remaining I again urge you to get your abstracts for the Annual Meeting submitted and then "laissez les bons temps rouler"

Eric Ravussin, PhD
President, The Obesity Society

Registration Now Open for the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting

Visit The Obesity Society's Annual Meeting website today and register for the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting, to be held October 20-24 in New Orleans, LA. Be sure to register before the June 12 early bird deadline and save $100 on your registration fee!

Not a member? You can save up to $145 by joining The Obesity Society when you register for the meeting by selecting the "New Member" registration category. Your registration fee includes the cost of a one-year membership.

Visit the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting website today!

You can now download a copy of the 200 7 Annual Scientific Meeting Advance Program.

You can create your own customized itinerary of education sessions at the Annual Scientific Meeting. Use the online Itinerary Planner located on the Society's Live Learning Center. If you've attended previous meetings, you can view the recorded contents from those meetings and download your official transcript of continuing education credits (CME, CPE, CEU).

ABPNS Exam

The American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists (ABPNS) announces its Certification Examination for Physician Nutrition Specialists. The exam will be given during a 2-week period in November, 2007. For more information on ABPNS or the exam, please refer to their website at www.ipnec.org/abp ns, right column (upcoming courses and meetings).

Deputy Director Position Open at NIDDK

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is seeking candidates for the position of Deputy Director. The incumbent serves as active partner with the NIDDK Director in the leadership of a $1.8 billion national organization that conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral research. The Deputy will be expected to represent, and speak on behalf of, the Director and the Institute before Members of Congress and their staffs, high level Government officials, leaders of national and voluntary professional health organizations, and leaders in business, science, and academia.

Applicants must possess an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree as well as senior-level research experience or knowledge of research programs in one or more of the following areas: diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases and nutrition; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases.

A curriculum vitae, bibliography and two letters of recommendation must be received by July 2, 2007. Application packages should be sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIDDK, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2560, Building 31, Room 9A-16. Bethesda, MD 20892. For further information, call 301-594-7772.

The Obesity Society Awards Program

The Obesity Society awards program promotes, rewards, and encourages research in the field of obesity. Awards reflecting different points in the careers of obesity researchers and clinicians will be presented at the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting.

The TOPS Award recognizes singular achievement or contribution to research in the field of obesity. This award is made possible through an annual grant from the Take Off Pounds Sensibly Foundation (TOPS). Recipients receive a $5,000 cash prize plus a travel grant to the Annual Scientific Meeting. The award is presented during a plenary session at which the recipient is invited to present the TOPS Award Lecture.

The Lilly Scientific Achievement Award recognizes excellence in an established research career and is made possible through an annual grant from the Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company. Recipients receive a $5,000 cash prize plus a travel grant to the Annual Scientific Meeting. The award is presented during a plenary session at which the recipient is invited to present the Lilly Scientific Achievement Award Lecture. To be eligible for this award, the recipient must be within 15 years of receiving his or her terminal degree.

The Stunkard Lifetime Achievement Award is designed to recognize people who, like Albert (Mickey) Stunkard, have made a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the field of obesity in terms of scholarship, mentorship, and education. Recipients receive a $1,000 cash prize. The award is presented during a plenary session at which the recipient is invited to present the Friends of Mickey Stunkard Award Lecture.

The George Bray Founders Award recognizes significant contributions that advance the scientific or clinical basis for understanding or treating obesity and have made a significant contribution to The Obesity Society. Recipients receive a $1,000 cash prize. The award is presented during a plenary session at which the recipient is invited to present the George Bray Founders Award Lecture.

The Atkinson-Stern Award for Public Service recognizes an individual or organization whose work has significantly improved the lives of those affected by obesity, whether through research, public policy, patient care, or other means. This gift was established by a gift from Thomas A. Wadden. Recipients receive a plaque and a $1,000.00 award.

The Ethan Sims Young Investigators Award recognizes excellence in research by young investigators based on their submitted abstracts and presentation during Annual Scientific Meeting. Each finalist will receive up to $1,000 to cover Annual Scientific Meeting expenses. The winner will receive an additional $1,000 cash prize. The award is presented during a plenary session at which five finalists are invited to present the Ethan Sims Young Investigators Award Lecture.

The Obesity Awards for Outstanding Journal Research recognize exemplary research in basic, clinical, or population manuscripts published in Obesity. The awards are presented during a plenary session and each award recipient receives a $500 cash prize.

The Editor's Choice Reviewer Awards recognize excellence in Obesity manuscript review. Criteria are the number of articles reviewed and the rapidity of review. The awards are presented during a plenary session.

New Investigator Research Grants

The Obesity Society has a program of competitive research grants in which new investigators submit research applications to be considered by the Society. Grants are awarded using an NIH-like peer review process.

New Investigator Research Grants are awarded to four new investigators. A new investigator is defined as an individual who has received a doctorate in the past five years and who currently holds a full-time, entry-level position (post-doctoral fellow, instructor, assistant professor) at an established academic/research institution. Applicants may request up to $25,000. An initial one-page letter of intent should be submitted for review by an interdisciplinary committee. The deadline for submission of a letter of intent is June 18. Letters should be addressed to The Obesity Society office.

The Wrigley Research Grant includes a request for applications (RFA) that addresses the potential health benefits of chewing gum. Applications may address the effects of gum chewing potentially related to the regulation of appetite (hunger, satiation, cravings etc), food intake, body weight (losing or maintaining weight, or metabolic control. This RFA is supported by the Wrigley Science Institute. Two grants of up to $25,000 each are awarded. RFAs should be submitted to The Obesity Society office.

Remember, Our Name has Changed

With its inception in 1982, the official name of our association was "The North American Association for the Study of Obesity." In 2005 the membership voted overwhelmingly to change the name. Our official name became "NAASO, The Obesity Society." We are increasingly identifying ourselves to the press and others as simply "The Obesity Society." The name is easier to remember and immediately tells who we are and helps to better communicate our mission.

In the near future, we will drop the NAASO acronym from the Society's title and logo. Although many who have been affiliated with this organization for many years will probably continue to refer to us "NAASO", from now on our official name is The Obesity Society.

Member News

News from the West
By Judith Stern, ScD

California

Ryan Craig, J.D., Founder and first Executive Director of Academy of the Sierras, announced that Healthy Living Academies is opening two new Wellspring summer camps in June 2007. With one located in San Marcos, Texas and the other in Hilo, Hawaii, these camps will join five other Wellspring Weight Loss Camps for adolescents and young adults located in New York, North Carolina, California, Michigan, and England.
David Heber, MD, PhD,Director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition (University of California, Los Angeles) and Professor or Medicine and Public Health, gave the Kosuna Distinguished Lecture at University of California, Davis on May 21, 2007. His lecture was entitled Phytochemicals Beyond Antioxidation - Pomegranate Secrets of the Garden of Eden.

Washington

Adam Drewnowski, PhD, (University of Washington, Seattle) was a speaker at the International Conference on the role of fruit and vegetables in the fight against obesity, held on April 17-19 in Brussels, Belgium. Dr. Drewnowski spoke about "The real cost of obesity" and discussed selected public initiatives for overcoming barriers to dietary change. These were for the CDC funded Washington State plan for chronic disease prevention and the French national plan for nutrition and health. The meeting supplied the evidence base for the position of the European Commission on obesity and fruit and vegetable consumption and was attended by the directors general for agriculture and for health and consumer affairs. Members of the European Union Platform for Diet, Physical Activity and Health also attended. The conference was sponsored by the French fruit and vegetable growers.

Hawaii

Janet D. Latner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology (University of Hawaii at Manoa) is celebrating a book release as of April 2007 entitled Self-Help Approaches for Obesity and Eating Disorders. This book includes chapters written by several other Obesity Society members. These members include Kelly C. Allison, PhD, Kelly D. Brownell, PhD, Carlos M. Grilo, PhD, Kathryn E. Henderson, PhD, Rebecca M. Puhl, PhD, W. Jack Rejeski, PhD, Marlene B. Schwartz, PhD, Albert J. Stunkard, MD, Adam Gilden Tsai, MD, Thomas A. Wadden, PhD, Delia Smith West, PhD, and Rena R. Wing, PhD.