Harvard The Blackburn course in Obesity Medicine Treating Obesity 2023

Overview

The Harvard The Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine Treating Obesity 2023 is an advanced educational program designed to optimize care for adult, adolescent, and pediatric patients with obesity. The course provides practical, evidence-based strategies addressing the evaluation, prevention, and management of obesity and its complications through multidisciplinary approaches.

On-demand endocrinology & metabolism education — accessible anytime, anywhere.

Agenda

This course features a comprehensive series of didactic lectures, panel discussions, and case presentations delivered by experts from leading obesity treatment centers. The curriculum covers clinical approaches, pharmacotherapy, exercise and dietary counseling, precision medicine, multidisciplinary care models, pediatric obesity, and surgical interventions.

• Welcome and Introduction — Course Directors
• 2023 Blackburn Lecture: State of Obesity in 2023 — Carel Le Roux, MD
• Clinical Approach to the Patient with Obesity — Ethan Lazarus, MD, FOMA
• Beyond BMI: Obesity Staging and Guideline-Based Treatment of Obesity — Sean Wharton, MD
• Approach to a Patient with an Eating Disorder — Susan Himes, PhD
• Panel Discussion: Approach to Treatment
• Obesity Pharmacotherapy — Lydia Alexander, MD
• Combination Treatment for Obesity Management — Angela Fitch, MD
• Combination Treatment Patient Discussion — Jennifer Ahn, MD and Angela Fitch, MD
• Panel Discussion: Pharmacotherapy
• Key Exercise Recommendations for Weight Loss and Maintenance — John Jakicic, PhD
• Nutrition and the Microbiome — Christopher Gardner, PhD
• Time-Restricted Eating — Krista Varady, PhD
• Dietary Strategies for Weight Loss — Chika Anekwe, MD
• Panel Discussion: Dietary Considerations
• Genetics and the Future of Obesity Treatment — Sadaf Farooqi, PhD
• Lipodystrophy — Lindsay Fourman, MD
• Precision Medical Treatment of Obesity — Andreas Acosta, MD, PhD
• Precision Lifestyle Treatments for Obesity — Eran Segal, PhD
• The Future State of Obesity Care — Debbie Horn, DO
• Patient Case Presentations Highlighting Precision Delivery of Care — Jennifer Ahn, MD
• Panel Discussion: Precision Care
• Cooperative Integrated and Virtual Care Models — Alexander Blood, MD, MSc
• Private Practice Model in Obesity Care — Shirly Ramchandani, MD
• Integrating Primary Care and Obesity Medicine in an Academic Medical Center — Leigh Perreault, MD
• Multi-Disciplinary Weight Centers — Christopher Still, DO
• Panel Discussion: Models of Delivering Care
• Assessment of the Pediatric Patient with Obesity — Claudia Fox, MD
• Use of Anti-Obesity Medications in Pediatric Patients — Vibha Singhal, MBBS, MPH
• Bariatric Endoscopy and Surgery in the Pediatric Patient — Cornelia Griggs, MD
• Panel Discussion: Obesity in the Pediatric Population
• Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty, POSE, and TORe — Barham Abu Dayyeh, MD, MPH
• Gastric Balloons, Transpyloric Shuttle, and Duodenal Resurfacing — Amandeep Singh, MD, PhD
• Update on Bariatric Surgery for Obesity — Eric Sheu, MD, PhD
• Panel Discussion: Endoscopic and Surgical Approaches to Treating Obesity
• Obesity Treatment as We Age (Sarcopenia, Testosterone, Menopause) — Klara Rosenquist, MD
• Addressing Healthcare Disparities in Obesity Treatment — Jamy Ard, MD
• Ensuring Equal Access to Care for All Patients — Wesley Dutton, MD
• Panel Discussion: Making Sure Underserved Populations Have Equal Access to Care
• Diagnosis and Staging of NAFLD/NASH in the Patient with Obesity — Kathleen Corey, MD, MPH
• Treatment of NAFLD/NASH in the Patient with Obesity — Michelle Lai, MD, MPH
• Obesity and Diabetes — Paul Copeland, MD
• Panel Discussion: Liver Disease and Diabetes
• Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease — Harold Edward Bays, MD, FOMA, FTOS, FACC, FNLA, FASPC
• Sleep Health and Sleep Apnea — Jeremy McConnell, MD
• Orthopedic Considerations in the Patient with Obesity — Michelle Look, MD, FAAFP, DABOM
• Panel Discussion: Cardiovascular Disease, Sleep Health, Knee and Hip Replacements

Speakers

• Carel Le Roux, MD
• Ethan Lazarus, MD, FOMA
• Sean Wharton, MD
• Susan Himes, PhD
• Lydia Alexander, MD
• Angela Fitch, MD
• Jennifer Ahn, MD
• John Jakicic, PhD
• Christopher Gardner, PhD
• Krista Varady, PhD
• Chika Anekwe, MD
• Sadaf Farooqi, PhD
• Lindsay Fourman, MD
• Andreas Acosta, MD, PhD
• Eran Segal, PhD
• Debbie Horn, DO
• Alexander Blood, MD, MSc
• Shirly Ramchandani, MD
• Leigh Perreault, MD
• Christopher Still, DO
• Claudia Fox, MD
• Vibha Singhal, MBBS, MPH
• Cornelia Griggs, MD
• Barham Abu Dayyeh, MD, MPH
• Amandeep Singh, MD, PhD
• Eric Sheu, MD, PhD
• Klara Rosenquist, MD
• Jamy Ard, MD
• Wesley Dutton, MD
• Kathleen Corey, MD, MPH
• Michelle Lai, MD, MPH
• Paul Copeland, MD
• Harold Edward Bays, MD, FOMA, FTOS, FACC, FNLA, FASPC
• Jeremy McConnell, MD
• Michelle Look, MD, FAAFP, DABOM

This course is presented by authorities in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, nutrition, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and psychology from leading obesity treatment centers. It includes an American Board of Obesity Medicine board review for participants preparing for certification exams. This educational offering is provided through MedHub Central.

Target Audience

This program is designed for healthcare providers including endocrinologists, family medicine physicians, pediatricians, bariatric and general surgeons, nutritionists, and other clinicians involved in the care of patients with obesity seeking to strengthen their expertise in obesity management.

Why This Topic Matters

The Harvard The Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine Treating Obesity 2023 addresses the growing clinical demands in the specialty of obesity medicine. It supports clinicians in delivering updated, evidence-based care approaches that are essential to managing this complex, multifactorial condition.

By providing comprehensive, multidisciplinary education through MedHub Central, this course enhances providers’ confidence and capability in improving the health of patients affected by obesity and its related metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychosocial comorbidities.