Obesity Week comes to Atlanta

Free. Georgia World Congress Center, A411

to register to go www.obesity.org/education/healthy-habits-at-home.htm

(Pre-registering to reserve a space is recommended)

About 4,000 doctors, scientists, policymakers and other health experts will gather at the Georgia World Congress Center next week to tackle what has become a growing national health crisis: obesity.

The Obesity Society and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery will combine their conferences this year for the inaugural event, Obesity Week 2013.

The keynote speakers include Dr. Bruce M. Spiegelman, a renowned Harvard University cell biologist, and New York City Health Commissioner Tom Farley (known for pushing for a cap on sugary soft drinks).

This week-long conference beginning Monday takes place at a time of soaring obesity. Two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese.

“That’s not trivial,” said Gary Foster, chairman of the executive council of the Obesity Week Board of Managers. “You can say ‘so what?’ But obesity incurs costs in so many ways — like diabetes and sleep apnea, and the list goes on and on. There is not a single organ in the body that is not affected by obesity.”

The latest research, emerging strategies and the science behind obesity will be highlighted at this conference, also featuring more than 300 exhibits. While the conference will be geared toward health care professionals with panels discussing everything from the biology of fat cells to cutting-edge technology in bariatric surgery, one workshop is tailored for the public. Called “Establishing Healthy Habits at Home,” this two-hour workshop will cover everything from eating healthy on a budget to squeezing more exercise into your busy day to getting your picky eaters to eat more fruits and vegetables. It’s scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the World Congress Center.

Also at the conference, experts will examine research on the link between sleep deprivation and obesity. One panel is titled: “Obesity and Food Addiction: Fact or Fiction?”

The controversial measure in New York City to restrict the size of sodas people chug, will also be discussed.

(Farley, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pushed to restrict sodas sold at food establishments to 16 ounces. While some New Yorkers complained that the government was overstepping its bounds, Farley argued that without a restriction on sugary drinks, which have ballooned into family-sized, 32-ounce portions, it will be that much harder to get a handle on the obesity epidemic.)

Meanwhile, Foster said the conference will also address discrimination obese people face in the workplace and beyond.

“It seems OK to laugh at fat jokes, and what we are saying is that is not OK,” said Foster. “We will look at what happens in the workplace and what happens on TV shows and how obese people are stereotyped and how body weight can affect hiring and even getting into college … We have a whole portfolio of obese people being active, and most pictures you see of obese people they are eating fast food.”

While the obesity conference will delve into many aspects of obesity, it won’t all be gloomy news.

The conference will also highlight some areas of promise including emerging technology that can help offer support and accountability for losing weight, and widespread efforts to help children eat healthier, including programs such as schools creating their own gardens and programs to get more fruits and vegetables into school lunches.

“You can look at any one of these efforts, and a pessimist would say, OK, so maybe a few more kids are eating fruits and vegetables, big deal. But to me, it signals efforts being made to move the needle. And lots of people are getting involved in various ways.”