Harvard Treating Obesity 2025: The Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine

Introduction

1. 2025 Blackburn Lecture: State of Obesity in 2025 – Donna Ryan, MD

2. Roundtable Discussion with Keynote Speaker – Donna Ryan, MD and Steven Heymsfield, MD

Approach to Treatment

3. Clinical Approach to the Patient with Obesity – Ethan Lazarus, MD, FOMA

4. Beyond BMI: Obesity Staging and Guideline-Based Treatment of Obesity – Timothy Garvey, MD

5. Body Composition – Grant Tinsley, PhD, CSCS,*D

6. Approach to a Patient with an Eating Disorder – Susan Himes, PhD

7. Panel Discussion: Approach to Treatment – Drs. Fitch, Garvey, Himes, Lazarus, and Tinsley

Pharmacotherapy

8. Obesity Pharmacotherapy – Gail O’Brien, MD

9. Combination Treatment for Obesity Management – Angela Fitch, MD

10. Pharmacodynamics and Medication Dosing in the Patient with Obesity – Christina Chow, PhD

11. Clinicians as Patients: A Perspective – Angela Fitch, MD

12. Panel Discussion: Pharmacotherapy – Drs. Chow, Fitch, and O’Brien

Exercise and Dietary Considerations

1. Key Exercise Recommendations for Weight Loss and Maintenance – John Jakicic, PhD

2. Nutrition and the Microbiome – Christopher Gardner, PhD

3. Time-Restricted Eating – Krista Varady, PhD

4. Dietary Strategies for Weight Loss – Chika Anekwe, MD, MPH

5. Culinary Medicine Programs – Michelle Hauser, MD, MS, MPA, FACP, FACLM

6. Panel Discussion: Dietary Considerations – Drs. Anekwe, Fitch, Gardner, Hauser, Jakicic, and Varady

Individualization of Care

7. The New Fundamentals of Obesity Care – Carolynn Francavilla Brown, MD, FOMA

8. Genetics and the Future of Obesity Treatment – Jesse Richards, DO

9. Lipodystrophy – Lindsay Fourman, MD

10. Panel Discussion: Individualization of Care – Drs. Fitch, Fourman, Francavilla Brown, and Richards

Precision Care

11. Precision Medical Treatment of Obesity – Andres Acosta, MD, PhD

12. Precision Lifestyle Treatments for Obesity – Andrew Chan, MD, MPH

13. The Future State of Obesity Care – Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, MFOMA

14. Patient Case Presentations Highlighting Precision Delivery of Care – Florence Porterfield, MD

15. Panel Discussion: Precision Care – Drs. Acosta, Chan, Horn, Porterfield, and Singh

Models of Delivering Care

1. Cooperative Integrated and Virtual Care Models – Alexander Blood, MD, MSc

2. Delivering Effective Obesity Care in Private Practice – Shirly Ramchandani, MD

3. Integrating Primary Care and Obesity Medicine in an Academic Medical Center – Leigh Perreault, MD

4. Multi-Disciplinary Weight Centers – William Yancy, MD, MHS

5. Group-Visit Models – Jacob Mirsky, MD, MA, DipABLM

6. Panel Discussion: Models of Delivering Care – Drs. Blood, Mirsky, Perreault, Ramchandani, Singh, and Yancy

Pediatrics

7. Assessment of the Pediatric Patient with Obesity – Jennifer Mulligan, MD

8. Use of Anti-Obesity Medications in Pediatric Patients – Vibha Singhal, MBBS, MPH

9. Bariatric Endoscopy and Surgery in the Pediatric Patient – Cornelia Griggs, MD

10. Panel Discussion: Obesity in the Pediatric Population – Drs. Fitch, Griggs, Mulligan, and Singhal

Endoscopic and Surgical Approaches to Treating Obesity

11. Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty, POSE, and TORe – Barham Abu Dayyeh, MD, MPH

12. Gastric Balloons, Transpyloric Shuttle, and Duodenal Resurfacing – Amandeep Singh, MD, PhD

13. Update on Bariatric Surgery for Obesity – Richard Peterson, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS, DABS-FPMBS

14. Nonsurgical Management of the Postbariatric Surgery Patient – Angela Fitch, MD

15. Panel Discussion: Endoscopic and Surgical Approaches to Treating Obesity – Drs. Abu Dayyeh, Fitch, Peterson, and Singh

Disparities and Stigma in Obesity Care

1. Addressing Healthcare Disparities in Obesity Treatment – Jamy Ard, MD, FTOS

2. Ensuring Equal Access to Care for All Patients: A North Carolina Story – Sarah Ro, MD

3. Stigma and Bias in Treating Obesity – Joseph Nadglowski

4. Panel Discussion: Disparities and Stigma – Drs. Ard, Ro, and Singh, and Joseph Nadglowski

Considerations in the Patient with Obesity

5. The Unbearable Lightness of Weight and Age – Beverly Tchang, MD

6. The Intersection of Metabolic Disease and Mental Health – Christopher Palmer, MD

7. Considerations for the Patient with Obesity Prior to a Procedure (with Patient on GLP-1, Colonoscopy Considerations) – Amanda S. Xi, MD, MSE

8. Panel Discussion: Considerations in the Patient with Obesity – Drs. Palmer, Singh, Tchang, and Xi

Diseases in the Patient with Obesity

9. Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease – Harold Bays, MD, MFOMA, FTOS, FACC, FNLA, FASPC, DABOM

10. Sleep Health and Sleep Apnea – Jeremy McConnell, MD

11. Obesity and Cancer – Justin Brown, PhD

12. Treatment of MAFLD/MASH in the Patient with Obesity – Michelle Lai, MD

13. Obesity and Diabetes – Paul Copeland, MD

14. Panel Discussion: Diseases in the Patient with Obesity – Drs. Bays, Brown, Copeland, Lai, McConnell, and Singh