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The Obesity Society Newsletter
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April 2011 |
Dear (Contact First Name),
In late March, senior members of TOS and representatives from the obesity community, including OAC, ASMBS and ADA held an important meeting with the Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Janet Woodcock, MD to discuss the way in which obesity drugs are reviewed and approved by the FDA. The team's report follows, but I'm pleased that we were able to secure a meeting and address the issue at such a high level and look forward to a continuing fruitful dialogue with the FDA and the obesity community.
In conference news, online registration is scheduled to begin April 11, 2011 and the Advance Program should be available online the same day. You'll be able to find both on the TOS website at: www.obesity.org/obesity2011. The Abstract Submission Site has now closed. Almost 900 abstracts were submitted for review and the program committee has begun its review process.This is a great begining for the content of the scientific and educational program.
This month, we bring you another article in the Basic Science Newsbrief series. Authored by Dr. Gerald Denis, the article discusses The Molecular Origins of Brown Fat.
For those of you looking for obesity training or to brush up on what's new in obesity treatment and prevention, there is still time to sign up for the CORE May meeting in San Francisco. The early-bird rate was recently extended through April 22nd. See details below.
Finally, but definitely not least, some Member News. I'd like to congratulate Dr. David Allison on his appointment as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biostatics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. You'll find details below. I encourage you to share your member news with the newsletter. I'm sure everyone at TOS would like to hear news about their colleagues and their achievements.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Lovejoy, PhD
President, The Obesity Society
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| Upcoming Events |
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International Congress of Enhancement of Physical Activity of Children And Youth (ICEPA 2011)
April 7-9, 2011
35th National Nutrient Databank Conference
April 8, 2011
Washington, DC
View Event
Experimental Biology 2011
April 9-13
Washington, DC
View Event
American Association of Diabetes Educators: Core Concepts: The Art & Science of Diabetes Education
April 12-14, 2011
Chicago, IL
View Event
32nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM)
April 27-30, 2011
Washington, DC
View Event
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Obesity Community Opens Dialogue With FDA Over Agency Process for Approving New Obesity Drugs
March 22, 2011, The Obesity Society (TOS) joined with other members of the obesity community, including the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), and the American Dietetic Association (ADA), in meeting with Food & Drug Administration (FDA) officials to discuss recent FDA activity concerning review and approval of current and pending drugs to treat obesity.
The results of the meeting were generally positive with FDA officials acknowledging the scope of the obesity epidemic and the need for safe and effective treatment tools to bridge the gap between lifestyle interventions and surgery. TOS believes the meeting marks the opening of a constructive dialogue between the agency and the obesity community toward filling this treatment void.
TOS was represented by Past Presidents, Donna Ryan, MD and Lou Aronne, MD, and President-Elect, Pat O'Neil, PhD. The TOS contingent was rounded out by Advocacy Chair, Ted Kyle, and Executive Director, Francesca Dea. The FDA was represented by Janet Woodcock, MD, Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), and members of her staff, including Robert Temple, MD, Deputy Center Director for Clinical Sciences, John Jenkins, MD, Director of New Drugs, Curt Rosenbraugh, MD, Director, Office of Drug Evaluation Obesity and Mary Parks, MD, Director, Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology.
During the meeting, the four groups walked FDA staff through an extensive agenda regarding areas where the obesity community believes the FDA can do better such as: composition of expert review panels; more consistent drug approval standards and guidance; and a better recognition that obesity is a chronic disease that needs a chronic treatment approach. Moving forward, the obesity community is looking forward to additional future meetings with FDA to ensure that the aforementioned areas are addressed.
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 Member Honors
TOS has great pleasure in announcing that David B. Allison, PhD has has been appointed a Distinguished Professor, one of the university's highest honors, by the Board of Trustees at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Allison has received many awards over the years; he was awarded the TOPS Research Achievement Award in 2009, and the 2002 Lilly Scientific Achievement Award from TOS.
To read more about Dr. Allison's Appointment. |
FDA Expands Use of Banding System for Weight Loss
The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded the use of Allergan's LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System, a device implanted around the upper part of the stomach to limit the amount of food that can be eaten at one time.
The February 16, 2011, approval expands the use of the LAP-BAND to include obese individuals with a BMI of 30 to 34 who also have an existing condition related to their obesity.
The FDA approved the LAP-BAND in 2001 for use in severely obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40, those with a BMI of at least 35 and who also have an existing severe condition related to their obesity, such as heart disease or diabetes, or those who are at least 100 pounds overweight. BMI is a general measure of body fat based on an individual's weight and height.
Read the full News Release
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2010 Gallup-Healthways Obesity Rates for States
Colorado, Hawaii, and Utah had the lowest obesity levels in the United States in 2010, although at least 2 in 10 adults were obese in each of these states. West Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky had the highest obesity rates, with more than 3 in 10 obese residents living in these states. The prevalence of obesity is nearly eight percentage points higher, on average, in the 11 states with the highest obesity levels compared with the 10 states with the lowest obesity levels -- 30.5% vs. 22.6%, respectively.
Gallup also has rates for diabetes, frequency of exercise and frequency of eating fruits and vegetables by state in their interactive map.
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Early-Bird Rate Extended for  CORE 7th Annual Conference: ![]() May 4-6, 2011
There is still time to sign up for the CORE 7th Annual Obesity Treatment & Prevention conference May 4-6, 2011, presented in affiliation with The Obesity Society and The Centers for Obesity Research and Education (CORE). the early-bird rate will be extended until April 22nd, 2011.
This conference will focus on the skills and practical strategies you need to help your overweight and obese patients lose weight and improve their lifestyles to maintain successful weight loss.
| Who Should Attend: |
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Clinicians and dietitians working in primary care settings and anyone else who wants to make a difference in the health of their overweight and obese patients.
Featured Speakers Include:
- James O. Hill, PhD
- Holly Wyatt, MD
- George Blackburn, MD, PhD
- George Bray, MD
- Daniel Bessesen, MD
- F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, MD
- Thomas Robinson, MD, MPH
Key Topics Include:
- Pediatric Obesity
- Strategies for Increasing Physical Activity
- Progress and Challenges in Obesity Care
- Pharmacotherapy for Obesity Treatment
- Bariatric Surgery Update
- Starting an Obesity Practice
- Engaging Families in More Activity and Healthier Eating
- Controversies in Metabolism and Weight Loss Success
- Behavior Change Strategies
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| National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research launches Surveillance Resource
The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR; a partnership between CDC, NIH, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and USDA) recently released the Catalogue of Surveillance Systems ( www.nccor.org/css). This is a free online tool providing access to data resources relevant to obesity research.
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Basic Science Newsbrief
Molecular Origins of Brown Fat
Gerald V. Denis
Dietary energy can be converted to lipid stores or to heat. However, this simple view of white adipose tissue (storage) or brown adipose tissue (heat) belies the complexity of the transcriptional and metabolic networks that govern this process. In obesity, brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an intensely studied organ because its high metabolic activity offers solutions to the many problems of excess storage: the plethora of metabolic dysfunctions that arise in obese, insulin resistant states.
Read more about the Molecular Origins of Brown Fat
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Should the Government Play a Significant Role in Reducing Childhood Obesity?
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press conducted a national survey February 22 to March 1, 2011. The subject of the survey which went out to 1,504 adults nationwide was whether the government should have a role in the fight against childhood obesity.
Interestingly, almost 60% of those surveyed said that it should.
In a recent Op.Ed. piece published in the New York Times, columnist Charles Blow points out that this is a change from a Harvard School of Public Health survey conducted in 2005, which reached quite the opposite conclusion.
Read the New York Times article
Go to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press Survey
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About Us
The Obesity Society extends special thanks and appreciation to all our sponsors who continue to support us in our mission.
The Obesity Society
8757 Georgia Avenue
Suite 1320
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
301-563-6526 phone
301-563-6595 fax
www.obesity.org
If you have questions or information for potential inclusion in the newsletter, please let us know:
Jane Pratt, Director of Marketing and Communications
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Abby Finestine, Communications Manager
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