Obesity Weekend Roundup, August 29, 2014

As not everyone may have a chance during the week to read every post, here’s a roundup of last week’s posts:

Have a great Sunday! (or what is left of it)

@DrSharma
Berlin, Germany

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2014 Scopinaro Lecture

Nicola Scopinaro, MD, Professor of Surgery, University of Genoa Medical School, Italy

Nicola Scopinaro, MD, Professor of Surgery, University of Genoa Medical School, Italy

This morning, at the XIX World Congress of the International Federation of Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO2014), I have the great honour of presenting the 2014 Scopinaro Lecture.

This lecture is named after Nicola Scopinaro, who in 1976 performed the first biliopancreatic diversion for the treatment of obesity.

The Scopinaro Lecture is the highest recognition for a non-surgeon to be awarded by IFSO.

In thinking about what to present, I settled on discussing the topic of whether or not obesity is a disease. Looking back over the work that I have done over the past 25 years, I came to realise that the issue of why some people with excess weight develop health problems and others don’t, has indeed fascinated me for a long time.

Initially, this interest was focussed on trying to understand why some people with obesity develop high blood pressure and others don’t. We were indeed able to show that part of this may be explained by differences in the expression of hormones involved in blood pressure regulation from fat tissue.

More recently, as many regular readers are well aware, I have broadened this interest in describing the limitations of BMI and advocating for a clinical staging system that classifies overweight and obese individuals based on how “sick” they are rather than how “big” they are.

Clearly, this work is of considerable interest to those involved in bariatric care (including bariatric surgeons), as it provides a framework for better prioritizing and assessing risk/benefit ratios than BMI or other anthropometric measures alone.

As I point out in my talk,

– The etiology of obesity is complex and multifactorial.

– The physiology of energy regulation is complex and subverts volitional attempts at weight loss.

– Access to obesity prevention and treatments must be driven by the recognised medical needs to address this condition.

– Multidisciplinary management of this life-long disorder requires resources similar to those required for other chronic diseases

In receiving this honour, I am fully aware that all of my work stands on the shoulders of the many researchers and clinicians who came before me and the considerable support and help that I have been fortunate enough to receive from my many students, trainees, colleagues and supervisors.

This award will certainly serve an a strong incentive to continue my work and advocacy for better treatments for obesity and the advancement of bariatric care.

@DrSharma
Montreal, QC

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Call For Abstracts: Canadian Obesity Summit, Toronto, April 28-May 2, 2015

COS2015 toronto callBuilding on the resounding success of Kananaskis, Montreal and Vancouver, the biennial Canadian Obesity Summit is now setting its sights on Toronto.

If you have a professional interest in obesity, it’s your #1 destination for learning, sharing and networking with experts from across Canada around the world.

In 2015, the Canadian Obesity Network (CON-RCO) and the Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons (CABPS) are combining resources to hold their scientific meetings under one roof.

The 4th Canadian Obesity Summit (#COS2015) will provide the latest information on obesity research, prevention and management to scientists, health care practitioners, policy makers, partner organizations and industry stakeholders working to reduce the social, mental and physical burden of obesity on Canadians.

The COS 2015 program will include plenary presentations, original scientific oral and poster presentations, interactive workshops and a large exhibit hall. Most importantly, COS 2015 will provide ample opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange for anyone with a professional interest in this field.

Abstract submission is now open – click here

Key Dates

  • Notification of abstract review: January 8, 2015
  • Call for late breaking abstracts open: Jan 12-30, 2015
  • Notification of late breaking abstracts and handouts and slides due : Feb 27, 2015
  • Early registration deadline: March 3, 2015

For exhibitor and sponsorship information – click here

To join the Canadian Obesity Network – click here

I look forward to seeing you in Toronto next year!

@DrSharma
Montreal, QC

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XIX World Congress on Obesity Surgery, Montreal

ifso14 logoFor the rest of this week I will be reporting from the XIX World Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) here in Montreal, Canada.

Although I am not a surgeon, staying up to date on all aspects of bariatric surgery is essential for anyone working in the field of bariatric care – and advances there are.

But I am not just here to listen. This morning, together with my colleague Sean Wharton, I will be presenting a 4 hour masters course on obesity management for allied health professionals and later today, I will be presenting a talk on the use of the Edmonton Obesity Staging System as a better way to determine the risk and prognosis of bariatric patients.

I certainly look forward to an intense week of learning and networking in this wonderful city.

@DrSharma
Montreal, QC

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Does Facebook Use Promote Eating Disorders?

facebook_button_eu3gSocial media are not just a means of sharing your life with the world – they also open your life to praise (likes and positive comments) or criticism.

Thus, it is easy to see how avid use of such platforms (especially those with ample picture posts) can potentially promote body image and weight obsessions in those who may not be quite confident and happy about their appearance.

That this may not just be an interesting theory is suggested by two studies by Annalise Mabe and colleagues from Florida State University, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

In the first study 960 female college students completed an Eating Attitudes Test that included Dieting and Bulimia/Food Preoccupation subscales with items such as “I eat diet foods” and “I give too much time and thought to food.”

Duration of Facebook use was assessed with the question “How much time do you spend on Facebook per week?” with options ranging from 0 to >7 hours (average used tended to be just over 2 hours per week).

This study found a small but statistically significant positive relationship between the duration of Facebook use and disordered eating.

In the second study, 84 women, who had participated in the first study and endorsed Facebook use on a weekly basis were randomization to either spending 20 mins on their facebook account or finding information about the ocelot on Wikipedia and YouTube.

Participants with greater disordered eating scores endorsed greater importance of receiving comments on their status, and greater importance of receiving “likes” on their status. Those with greater eating pathology reported untagging photos of themselves more often and endorsed comparing their photos to their female friends’ photos more often.

Participants in the control group demonstrated a greater decline in weight/shape preoccupation than did participants who spent 20 min on Facebook. Furthermore post hoc comparisons supported a significant decrease in weight/shape preoccupation in controls.

Facebook use resulted in a preoccupation with weight and shape compared to an internet control condition despite several multivariate adjustments.

As the authors discuss, their finding,

“indicates that typical Facebook use may contribute to maintenance of weight/shape concerns and state anxiety, both of which are established eating disorder risk factors.”

In terms of practical implications of these findings, the authors suggest that,

“Facebook could be targeted as a maintenance factor in prevention programs. For example, interventions could address the implications of appearance-focused comments such as “you look so thin” or “I wish I had your abs,” in perpetuating the thin ideal on Facebook, much as “fat talk” perpetuates this ideal in everyday conversations. An adaption of the “Fat Talk Free” campaign as well as adaptations of media literacy programs could encourage girls and women in the responsible use of social media sites.”

Clearly, this appears to me as a rather fertile area for further research.

I’d certainly be interested in hearing about your experience with facebook and any effects it may have had on your body image or eating behaviours.

@DrSharma
Edmonton, AB

ResearchBlogging.orgMabe AG, Forney KJ, & Keel PK (2014). Do you “like” my photo? Facebook use maintains eating disorder risk. The International journal of eating disorders, 47 (5), 516-23 PMID: 25035882

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