Certified Obesity Medical Physician (COMP)

Domain 01: Basic Knowledge

Etiology
Physiology/Pathophysiology
Epidemiology
Nutrition
Physical Activity

Etiology

• Lifestyle/behavioral causes of obesity (e.g., sedentary behavior, convenience foods, large portion sizes, psychological [e.g., emotional eating, atypical depression])
• Environmental and cultural causes of obesity, including built environment and food environment (e.g., home, school, work, community, access to grocery vs. convenient stores)
• Genetic causes of obesity, including monogenic causes, polygenic causes, and genetic syndromes
• Secondary causes of weight gain and obesity (e.g., drug induced, Cushing Syndrome)
• Epigenetics and fetal environment
• Interaction between genetics and cultural/social factors (e.g., Pima Indians, identical twin studies, breastfeeding)

Physiology/Pathophysiology

• Neurohormonal – appetite and satiety control
• Enterohormonal – appetite and satiety control (adipo and entero)
• Body fat distribution (e.g., visceral fat, gender differences)
• Pathophysiology of obesity related disorders  (e.g., metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS], non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD])
• Body composition and energy expenditure
• Energy balance and hormonal adaptation to weight loss
• Obesity related cell physiology and metabolism, including adipocyte, muscle cell, liver, pancreas, endocrine aspects (e.g., leptin, adiponectin), and bone
• Brain, gut, adipocyte interaction

Epidemiology

• Incidence and prevalence of obesity including demographic distribution (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, geography, SES, secular trends)
• Obesity across the life cycle (e.g., infancy, childhood, puberty, pregnancy, menopause, elderly)

Nutrition

• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for macro- and micronutrients
• Gastrointestinal sites of nutrient absorption
• Obesity related vitamin and mineral metabolism (e.g., calcium, parathyroid hormone, vitamin B12, vitamin D)
• Macronutrient diet composition and effects on body weight and metabolism (e.g., current and commonly used diets, protein-calorie malnutrition)

Physical activity

• Biomechanics of obese patient
• Kinesiology
• Cardiorespiratory fitness
• Body composition and body shaping
• Muscular strength and endurance

Table of Contents

The Obesity Society

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