Hot Topics Conference on Obesity and Mental Health, Toronto, June 26-28, 2012

Following a most successful 3rd Canadian Obesity Student Meeting in Edmonton last week, tomorrow sees the start of the Canadian Obesity Network’s Hot Topics Conference on Obesity and Mental Health, organised in partnership with the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) and the Centre for Mental Health and Addiction (CAMH).

Attendees will learn about:

• Clinical assessment and management of patients with obesity and mental illness
• Current evidence and best practices in psychological and behavioural interventions
• Current evidence on emerging pharmacological treatments for obesity and mental illness
• Current understanding the neuropsychobiology of ingestive behaviour and mental health disorders
• Bias and stigma associated with obesity and mental illness
• Research priorities in the emerging field of obesity and mental illness.

The list of distinguished speakers include:

Day 1 (Tuesday, June 26, 13.00-18.00):

Opening and Welcome
David S. Goldbloom, Chair, Mental Health Commission of Canada

Etiological Assessment of obesity and the Role of Mental Health
Arya m Sharma, Edmonton, Canada

The Neurobiology of Appetite: Hunger as Addiction
Alain Dagher, Montreal, Canada

Neural Integration of Metabolic, Cognitive, and Emotional Signals in the Control of Ingestive Behavior
Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, Baton Rouge, USA

A Psychogenetic Analysis of Appetite and Overeating
Caroline Davis, Toronto, Canada

The Effect of Obesity in Mood Disorders
Roger McIntyre, Toronto, Canada

ADHD and Obesity
Caroline Davis, Toronto, Canada

Borderline Personality Disorder and Obesity
Randy Sansone, Dayton, USA

Binge Eating and Bulimia
Allan Kaplan, Toronto, Canada

Day 2 (Wednesday, June 27, 8.00-17.30)

Stress and Obesity
Zul Merali, Ottawa, Canada

Gut Hormones for Treating Obesity
Nick Finer, London, UK

An overview of Current Surgical Treatments for Obesity
Teodor Grantcharov, Toronto, Canada

Pregnancy and the Post-Partum Period: A Vulnerable Window for Obesity and Mental Illness
Valerie Taylor, Toronto, Canada

Motivational Interviewing in Bariatric Patients
Michael Vallis, Halifax, Canada

Psychological and Psychiatric Predictors of Response and Failure to Bariatric Surgery
Anthony N Fabricatore, Pennsylvania, USA

Behaviour Change for Weight Loss: State of the Science
Rohan Ganguli, Toronto, Canada

Body Image Across Weight Status
Shelly Russell-Mayhew, Calgary, Canada

Changing Social Standards Associated with Weight and Body Image
Fannie Dagnais, Montreal, Canada

Assessing Quality of Life in Obesity
Ronette Kolotkin, Durham, USA

Perspectives of Persons Living with Obesity: Quality of Life and Engagement in Everyday Life
Mary Forhan, Hamilton, Canada

Day 3 (Thursday, June 28, 8.00-12.30)

Disorders of Consumption: Learnings from Smoking Cessation
Peter Selby, Toronto, Canada

Preventing Obesity Through Mental Health Promotion: Linking Research, Practice and Policy
Gail McVey, Toronto, Canada

Analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000–2010): Obesity and Mental Health in Aboriginal Population
Piotr Wilk, London, Canada

Antipsychotics and Weight Gain
Rohan Ganguli, Toronto, Canada

Metabolic Monitoring for Adults Prescribed Antipsychotic Medications
Tony A. Cohn, Toronto, Canada

Canadian Guidelines on Monitoring and Management of Metabolic Side Effects of Second Generation Antipsychotic Medications in Children
Tamara Pringsheim, Calgary, Canada

Adaptation of Lessons Learned from the Field of Eating disorders
Annick Buchholz, Ottawa, Canada

This impressive program is complemented by original research presentations in poster workshops.

The conference will also see the release of the Toronto Charter on Obesity and Mental Health.

The conference is virtually sold-out – a few on-site registrations will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.

AMS
Edmonton, Alberta