Pharmacologic and Medical Advances in Obesity Management

Course Overview
Obesity is a chronic, progressive, relapsing, multifactorial disease resulting in metabolic and biomechanical morbidities and premature mortality, and its prevalence has risen to unacceptable levels in the United States and worldwide. Healthy diet, exercise, and behavioral interventions are crucial components of management but are largely unsuccessful in achieving and maintaining weight reduction sufficient to reduce morbidities and prevent premature mortality because the chronic neuroendocrine disease of obesity remains unaddressed. Despite recognition that long-term antiobesity medications and potentially bariatric procedures are required to mitigate the effects of obesity, knowledge gaps, misperceptions, and bias are highly prevalent. Recently approved and emerging antiobesity medications are revolutionizing obesity treatment by achieving long-term weight loss previously unattainable without surgical intervention. Reversing the low utilization of medication and surgical treatment begins with ending the stigmatization of patients with obesity.

Learning Outcomes 
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:

• Define obesity and related conditions.
• Outline approaches to the clinical assessment of patients who are overweight or obese.
• Review the epidemiology of obesity, including the evolving obesity epidemic.
• Describe the role of diet, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) on the etiology of obesity.
• Compare and contrast available energy expenditure research.
• Identify other etiologic factors contributing to the obesity epidemic.
• Evaluate current knowledge of energy balance and defense of body weight in the regulation of body weight.
• Define the four pillars of obesity management.
• Analyze pharmacotherapeutic options for monogenic obesity syndromes.
• Compare available pharmacotherapy for short- and long-term management of obesity.
• Identify investigational antiobesity medications in development.
• Review prescribing tips to improve the clinical use of antiobesity medications.
• Outline available metabolic and bariatric surgical interventions, including indications, contraindications, and efficacy.
• Discuss postbariatric interventions to improve outcomes in patients who have undergone weight-loss surgery.
• Describe the physiology and pathophysiology underlying obesity and driving advances in the management of obesity.

About the Author/Presenter 
Mark Rose, BS, MA, LP, is a licensed psychologist in the State of Minnesota with a private consulting practice and a medical research analyst with a biomedical communications firm. Earlier healthcare technology assessment work led to medical device and pharmaceutical sector experience in new product development involving cancer ablative devices and pain therapeutics. Along with substantial experience in addiction research, Mr. Rose has contributed to the authorship of numerous papers on CNS, oncology, and other medical disorders. He is the lead author of papers published in peer-reviewed addiction, psychiatry, and pain medicine journals and has written books on prescription opioids and alcoholism published by the Hazelden Foundation. He also serves as an Expert Advisor and Expert Witness to law firms that represent disability claimants or criminal defendants on cases related to chronic pain, psychiatric/substance use disorders, and acute pharmacologic/toxicologic effects. Mr. Rose is on the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis-based International Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine and is a member of several professional organizations.

Audience/Accreditations and Approvals 
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE 
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. 
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details): 
Nursing, Physician

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