FIGHTING THE UPHILL BATTLE: Current Evidence in Obesity Management

The current obesity epidemic shows no signs of slowing down and the factors driving it are numerous, including patient and clinician attitudes toward weight loss, a lack of clinician familiarity with guidelines, a lack of effective long-term weight-loss options, and a hesitancy among physicians to recognize obesity as a medical condition and discuss weight with their patients. Recent evidence demonstrates that primary care providers are hesitant to recommend weight-loss pharmacotherapies even in guideline-recommended settings, and many clinicians who do recommend pharmacotherapies prescribe them for too short of a course.

“Fighting the Uphill Battle: Current Evidence in Obesity Management” will provide clinicians with the latest evidence regarding obesity management in a form that can be readily integrated into practice. Clinicians will also receive real-world strategies for effectively addressing weight with their patients and initiating conversations that can begin to reverse the obesity trend that pervades society.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES - At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to demonstrate the ability to:

- Adopt strategies to foster effective discussions about weight loss with patients who are overweight
- Evaluate the roles and risks/benefits of behavioral and pharmacological weight-loss interventions
- Integrate guideline recommendations for assessing obesity in patients and making evidence-based recommendations for weight loss