Latest Advancements in Obesity Research To Be Presented at NAASO 2000

Health Professionals Explore Advancements in Prevention and Treatment for Global Epidemic

Bethesda, MD – October 29, 2000 More than a thousand researchers and clinicians are gathering in Long Beach, Calif. this week to review more than 500 scientific abstracts about the most recent advancements in the field of obesity during the annual meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) taking place from October 29 - November 2 at the Hyatt Long Beach and the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. This year's theme - Obesity in the New Millennium - will explore the latest clinical research on the growing threat of obesity among adolescents, the use of technology and clinical intervention to promote behavior change, the role of specialized diets in facilitating weight loss, and much more.

"This is an unprecedented time in the field of obesity," says David York, Ph.D., president of NAASO and associate executive director for Basic Research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, La. "As we head into the millennium, there is renewed focus on the disease as governments and health organizations recognize that obesity, through its associated co-morbidities, poses a major threat to health and to the costs of medical care. This is a global problem and action must be taken now to stem this growing trend."

NAASO, a leading scientific society dedicated to obesity, is at the forefront of education about the obesity epidemic. The annual meeting will help health professionals and the public better understand the fundamental issues and research surrounding the nature and treatment of this growing problem. Obesity experts attending NAASO will have the opportunity to learn about advances in scientific and medical research and to participate in dozens of plenary lectures, presentations, panel discussions and workshops.

Specialists will also have the opportunity to attend symposia, highlighting the latest studies, such as BMI variance among ethnic groups, surgical weight-loss advancements, the role of genetics in obesity risk, and childhood obesity.

The six thematic tracks being presented simultaneously at NAASO include:

Adipose Cell Biology
Genetic Aspects of Obesity
Metabolic Aspects
Brain Biology/Neurosciences
Ingestive Behaviors, Treatment & Clinical Prevention
Population Sciences & Primary Prevention

"NAASO is the leading voice on obesity science," says Charles Billington, M.D., president elect of NAASO and professor in the Department of Medicine at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minn. "This meeting will provide health professionals with the most up-to-date scientific knowledge on obesity so they can better diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent this disease."