Harvard The Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine 2025

• Target Audience: physicians (especially in internal medicine, endocrinology, pediatrics, gastroenterology, and surgery)
• Sample video: contact me for sample video
• Information:

Education to Optimize Your Care of Adult, Adolescent, and Pediatric Patients with Obesity

Treating Obesity 2025: The Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine is an online course, using live streaming, electronic Q&A, and other remote learning technologies.

OVERVIEW

Effective treatment of patients with obesity is an important part of modern medical practice. This course delivers practical strategies to optimize the management of obesity and its many complications, and provides the most up-to-date approaches to obesity prevention and treatment.

Highlights of the 2025 program include:

Update on using the newer GLP-1 based therapies

Comprehensive evaluation of the patient with obesity

Precision medicine and dietary approaches to obesity and metabolic disorders

Medical, endoscopic, and surgical options for the treatment of obesity

Effective counseling and motivation techniques

Medical and surgical treatment of children and adolescents with obesity

Emerging strategies and therapies for genetic obesity

A guide to virtual care, group visits, private and academic practice models

Enhancing communication about obesity with patients, referring providers, payers, and the public

Addressing obesity bias, stigma, and disparities in care

This course is designed to give health care providers the knowledge to:

Identify, evaluate and manage patients with high-risk obesity

Provide lifestyle-based therapies for obesity, including nutritional, physical activity, and behavioral approaches

Apply effective counseling and behavioral modification techniques

Apply current pharmacological approaches to the treatment of obesity

Assess patients for their need and appropriateness for bariatric surgery and determine surgical options

Pathophysiology of obesity

Obesity comorbidities

Pediatric patient management

Genetic and syndromic obesity

Nutrition and exercise assessment and intervention

Intensive lifestyle and behavioral therapy

Anti-obesity pharmacotherapy

Bariatric surgery

360-Degree Education

Patient Care.  Reimbursements.  Challenging Cases.  Global Perspectives.

Fewer than 5% of patients with obesity undergo proper clinical evaluation for this disorder in a clinical setting. Treating Obesity 2025 provides education about obesity, its causes and consequences, and the most effective tools and strategies for its prevention and treatment.

Unique to this program is a 360-degree educational experience, where attendees:

Hear from authorities in medicine, pediatrics, nutrition, surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and mental health about strategies to optimize care for your patients with obesity

Learn how to build and maintain a successful Obesity Medicine practice in varied clinical settings, including primary care, multidisciplinary obesity care center, and Obesity Medicine specialty private practice

Learn about the increasing global burden of obesity-associated disease

Understand the adverse effect of obesity on the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases related to obesity

Become more effective at strategic communication with payers, employers, and other policymakers about the benefits and value of targeted obesity treatment

Get feedback and guidance on your own challenging cases from experienced Obesity Medicine clinicians

Interact directly with faculty during panel discussions and interactive question and answer sessions

Prepare for the American Board of Obesity Medicine board examination

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Apply effective patient counseling and behavior modification techniques as well as support for productive lifestyle change

Determine the mechanism of action and most effective use of current and emerging pharmacological and medical device-based treatments of obesity

Assess patients for their need and appropriateness for bariatric surgery, help guide them to appropriate surgical options, and effectively manage their post-operative care

Incorporate strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity in pediatric populations

Apply a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity and its metabolic consequences to improve the care of patients with these disorders

Address patients with obesity with a greater sensitivity and understanding of the causes, challenges, frustrations, and opportunities for their effective treatment

Develop and further refine clinical approaches to the patient with obesity

Identify, evaluate, and manage high-risk patient populations

Assess patients for their need and appropriateness for lifestyle-based therapies for obesity, including dietary manipulation, optimizing physical activity, stress reduction, improved sleep health, and circadian rhythm preservation

Consolidate knowledge of basic and clinical information within Obesity Medicine in order to comprehensively diagnose and treat patients

Optimize their opportunity to pass the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) subspecialty examination

• Topics:

Sunday, June 8, 2025

9:00am to 7:20pm

This one-day program helps prepare registrants for the ABOM certification exam.

Click here for complete schedule.

Monday, June 9, 2025

Introduction

9:00am to 9:10am

Welcome and Introduction

Amandeep Singh, MD, PhD and Angela Fitch, MD

9:10am to 10:10am

2025 Blackburn Lecture: State of Obesity in 2025

Donna Ryan, MD

10:10am to 10:40am

Roundtable Discussion with Keynote Speaker

Donna Ryan, MD and Steven Heymsfield, MD

10:40am to 11:00am

Break

Approach to Treatment

11:00am to 11:40am

Clinical Approach to the Patient with Obesity

Ethan Lazarus, MD, FOMA

11:40am to 12:20pm

Beyond BMI: Obesity Staging and Guideline-Based Treatment of Obesity

Timothy Garvey, MD

12:20pm to 1:00pm

Body Composition

Grant Tinsley, PhD, CSCS,*D

1:00pm to 1:40pm

Approach to a Patient with an Eating Disorder

Susan Himes, PhD

1:40pm to 2:20pm

Panel Discussion: Approach to Treatment

Drs. Fitch, Garvey, Himes, Lazarus, and Tinsley

2:20pm to 2:50pm

Break

Pharmacotherapy

2:50pm to 3:30pm

Obesity Pharmacotherapy

Gail O’Brien, MD

3:30pm to 4:10pm

Combination Treatment for Obesity Management

Angela Fitch, MD

4:10pm to 4:50pm

Pharmacodynamics and Medication Dosing in the Patient with Obesity

Christina Chow, PhD

4:50pm to 5:30pm

Clinicians as Patients: A Perspective

Angela Fitch, MD

5:30pm to 6:10pm

Panel Discussion: Pharmacotherapy

Drs. Chow, Fitch, and O’Brien

Self-Paced Study

Time for self-paced study of any of the pre-recorded sessions, including the following:

6:10pm

Supplementary Sessions

Staging, Assessment, and Treatment of Obesity

Daniel Bessesen, MD

Patient-Centric Treatment of Obesity

Sean Wharton, MD

Complex Genetic Obesity Syndromes

Sadaf Forroqi, MD

Patient Case Presentations Highlighting Delivery of Care 1

Jennifer Mulligan, MD

Patient Case Presentations Highlighting Delivery of Care 2

Jennifer Mulligan, MD

Patient Case Presentations Highlighting Delivery of Care 3

Sreevidya Bodepudi, MD

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

9:00am to 9:10am

Welcome and Introduction Day 2

Course Directors

Exercise and Dietary Considerations

9:10am to 9:50am

Key Exercise Recommendations for Weight Loss and Maintenance

John Jakicic, PhD

9:50am to 10:30am

Nutrition and the Microbiome

Christopher Gardner, PhD

10:30am to 11:10am

Time-Restricted Eating

Krista Varady, PhD

11:10am to 11:50am

Dietary Strategies for Weight Loss

Chika Anekwe, MD, MPH

11:50am to 12:30pm

Culinary Medicine Programs

Michelle Hauser, MD, MS, MPA, FACP, FACLM

12:30pm to 1:10pm

Panel Discussion: Dietary Considerations

Drs. Anekwe, Fitch, Gardner, Hauser, Jakcic, and Varady

1:10pm to 1:40pm

Break

Individualization of Care

1:40pm to 2:20pm

The New Fundamentals of Obesity Care

Carolynn Francavilla Brown, MD, FOMA

2:20pm to 3:00pm

Genetics and the Future of Obesity Treatment

Jesse Richards, DO

3:00pm to 3:40pm

Lipodystrophy

Lindsay Fourman, MD

3:40pm to 4:20pm

Panel Discussion: Individualization of Care

Drs. Fitch, Fourman, Francavilla Brown, and Richards

4:20pm to 4:40pm

Break

Precision Care

4:40pm to 5:20pm

Precision Medical Treatment of Obesity

Andres Acosta, MD, PhD

5:20pm to 6:00pm

Precision Lifestyle Treatments for Obesity

Andrew Chan, MD, MPH

6:00pm to 6:40pm

The Future State of Obesity Care

Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, MFOMA

6:40pm to 7:20pm

Patient Case Presentations Highlighting Precision Delivery of Care

Florence Porterfield, MD

7:20pm to 8:00pm

Panel Discussion: Precision Care

Drs. Acosta, Chan, Horn, Porterfield, and Singh

Self-Paced Study

Time for self-paced study of any of the pre-recorded sessions, including the following:

8:00pm

Supplementary Sessions

Circadian Influences and Lifestyle Interventions

Frank Scheer, MD

A Dietitian’s Approach to a Patient with Obesity

Abeer Bader, RD

Tailoring Obesity Care Based on Genetic Differences

Ruth Loos, MD

Research into Tailoring Obesity Care

Elizabeth Speliotes, MD

Using Technology to Deliver Personalized Metabolic Care

Eran Segal, MD

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

9:00am to 9:10am

Welcome and Introduction Day 3

Course Directors

Models of Delivering Care

9:10am to 9:50am

Cooperative Integrated and Virtual Care Models

Alexander Blood, MD, MSc

9:50am to 10:40am

Delivering Effective Obesity Care in Private Practice

Shirly Ramchandani, MD

10:40am to 11:20am

Leigh Perreault, MD

11:20am to 12:00pm

Multi-Disciplinary Weight Centers

William Yancy, MD, MHS

12:00pm to 12:40pm

Group-Visit Models

Jacob Mirsky, MD,  MA, DipABLM

12:40pm to 1:20pm

Panel Discussion: Models of Delivering Care

Drs. Blood, Mirsky, Perreault, Ramchandani, Singh, and Yancy

1:20pm to 1:50pm

Break

Pediatrics

1:50pm to 2:30pm

Assessment of the Pediatric Patient with Obesity

Jennifer Mulligan, MD

2:30pm to 3:10pm

Use of Anti-Obesity Medications in Pediatric Patients

Vibha Singhal, MBBS, MPH

3:10pm to 3:50pm

Bariatric Endoscopy and Surgery in the Pediatric Patient

Cornelia Griggs, MD

3:50pm to 4:30pm

Panel Discussion: Obesity in the Pediatric Population

Drs. Fitch, Griggs, Mulligan, and Singhal

4:30pm to 4:50pm

Break

Endoscopic and Surgical Approaches to Treating Obesity

4:50pm to 5:30pm

Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty, POSE, and TORe

Barham Abu Dayyeh, MD, MPH

5:30pm to 6:10pm

Gastric Balloons, Transpyloric Shuttle, and Duodenal Resurfacing

Amandeep Singh, MD, PhD

6:10pm to 6:50pm

Update on Bariatric Surgery for Obesity

Richard Peterson, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS, DABS-FPMBS

6:50pm to 7:30pm

Nonsurgical Management of the Postbariatric Surgery Patient

Angela Fitch, MD

7:30pm to 8:10pm

Panel Discussion: Endoscopic and Surgical Approaches to Treating Obesity

Drs. Abu Dayyeh, Fitch, Peterson, and Singh

Self-Paced Study

Time for self-paced study of any of the pre-recorded sessions, including the following:

8:10pm

Supplementary Sessions

Providing Virtual Obesity Care

Katherine Saunders, MD and Leon Igel, MD

Optimizing Obesity Care in Private Practice: Strategies for Success

Carolynn Francavilla Brown, MD

Advancing Obesity Care in Academic Medicine: Challenges and Opportunities

Lauren Oshman, MD and Dina Griauzde, MD

Multi-Disciplinary Weight Center Case Study: Massachusetts General Hospital

Angela Fitch, MD

Multi-Disciplinary Weight Center Case Study: Geisinger

Christopher Still, MD

Multi-Disciplinary Weight Center Case Study: University of Colorado

Adam Gilden, MD

Thursday, June 12, 2025

9:00am to 9:10am

Welcome and Introduction Day 4

Course Directors

Disparities and Stigma in Obesity Care

9:10am to 9:50am

Addressing Healthcare Disparities in Obesity Treatment

Jamy Ard, MD, FTOS

9:50am to 10:30am

Ensuring Equal Access to Care for All Patients: A North Carolina Story

Sarah Ro, MD

10:30am to 11:10am

Stigma and Bias in Treating Obesity

Joseph Nadglowski

11:10am to 11:50am

Panel Discussion: Disparities and Stigma

Drs. Ard, Ro, and Singh, and Joseph Nadglowski

11:50am to 12:20pm

Break

Considerations in the Patient with Obesity

12:20pm to 1:00pm

The Unbearable Lightness of Weight and Age

Beverly Tchang, MD

1:00pm to 1:40pm

The Intersection of Metabolic Disease and Mental Health

Christopher Palmer, MD

1:40pm to 2:20pm

Considerations for the Patient with Obesity Prior to a Procedure (with Patient on GLP-1, Colonoscopy Considerations)

Amanda S. Xi, MD, MSE

2:20pm to 3:00pm

Panel Discussion: Considerations in the Patient with Obesity

Drs. Palmer, Singh, Tchang, and Xi

3:00pm to 3:20pm

Break

Diseases in the Patient with Obesity

3:20pm to 4:00pm

Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease

Harold Bays, MD, MFOMA, FTOS, FACC, FNLA, FASPC, DABOM

4:00pm to 4:40pm

Sleep Health and Sleep Apnea

Jeremy McConnell, MD

4:40pm to 5:20pm

Obesity and Cancer

Justin Brown, PhD

5:20pm to 6:00pm

Treatment of MAFLD/MASH in the Patient with Obesity

Michelle Lai, MD

6:00pm to 6:40pm

Obesity and Diabetes

Paul Copeland, MD

6:40pm to 7:20pm

Panel Discussion: Diseases in the Patient with Obesity

Drs. Bays, Brown, Copeland, Lai, McConnell, and Singh

Self-Paced Study

Time for self-paced study of any of the pre-recorded sessions, including the following:

7:20pm

Supplementary Sessions

Caring for All Patients

Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa, MD

Equity in Obesity Care

Wesley Dutton, MD

Diagnosis and Staging of MAFLD/MASH

Kathleen Corey, MD, MPH