OnDemand: February 2024 Grand Rounds - Medical Nutrition Therapy for Obesity Prevention and Treatment

Dietitians play a key role in providing education, motivation, and techniques to prevent and treat obesity in pediatric and adult clients. Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) provided by a dietitian includes nutrition assessment, client-centered decision making and individualized interventions. Evidence demonstrates that behavioral lifestyle interventions, including MNT, can be effective in improving anthropometric, cardiometabolic and psychosocial outcomes when provided by qualified practitioners. The speaker will describe best-available evidence on potential benefits and harms of MNT for obesity treatment interventions as well as facilitators and barriers to implementation. Additionally, the speaker will discuss current legislation to improve access to evidence-based obesity services.

1. After participating in the webinar, learners will understand the evolution of medical nutrition therapy in the treatment of overweight and obesity and why guidelines have recently changed to incorporate recent data.

2. After this webinar, learners will be able to apply updated recommendations for delivering optimal MNT and adjust their approaches to obesity care so that they include strategies that consider the evolution in obesity treatment options.

Mary Rozga, PhD, RDN

Nutrition Researcher II

Mary Rozga, PhD, RDN is a Nutrition Researcher II at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Center, where she works as a systematic review, meta-analysis, and evidence-based guideline methodologist. Dr. Rozga earned her PhD in Human Nutrition and completed her dietetic internship at Michigan State University. In addition to leading several scoping and systematic reviews and evidence-based practice guidelines, Dr. Rozga has contributed to evolving methods for translating nutrition research into practice.

The Obesity Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Obesity Society designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

ACCME Activity ID 201573196

Date of Release: March 1, 2024
Date of Termination: December 31, 2026

No commercial support was received for this activity.

Mary Rozga, PhD, RDN: No Relevant Financial Relationships

Monica Agarwal, MD: No Relevant Financial Relationships

Johnny Figueroa, PhD: No Relevant Financial Relationships

Leslie Golden, MD, MPH: No Relevant Financial Relationships

Valentina Ivezaj, PhD: No Relevant Financial Relationships

Aaron Kelly, PhD: No Relevant Financial Relationships

Robert Kushner, MD: Advisor Relationship with Novo Nordisk (Pharmaceuticals), WW (Medical Food and Weight Management*), and Eli Lilly (Pharmaceuticals) Consultant relationship with Altimmune (Pharmaceuticals), Pfizer Inc. (Pharmaceuticals), and Boehringer Ingelheim (Pharmaceuticals)

Magdalena Pasarica, MD, PhD: No Relevant Financial Relationships Jonathan Purnell, MD Consultation Relationship with Novo Nordisk (Pharmaceuticals), Boehringer Ingelheim (Pharmaceuticals), and Luciole (Pharmaceuticals)

Amanda Velazquez, MD: Advisor relationship with WW (Medical Food and Weight Management*) and Intellihealth (Weight Management*) Consultation Relationship with Novo Nordisk (Pharmaceuticals)

Denise Wilfley, PhD: No Relevant Financial Relationships

No members of the TOS CME Oversight Committee, charged with the resolution of all relevant conflicts of interest, had any relevant financial relationships while serving on the committee.

1. Raynor HA, Morgan-Bathke M, Baxter SD, Halliday T, Lynch A, Malik N, Garay JL, Rozga M. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Medical Nutrition Therapy Behavioral Interventions Provided by Dietitians for Adults with Overweight or Obesity. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023 Nov 29: S2212-2672(23)01691-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.11.013.

2. Maria Hassapidou; Antonis Vlassopoulos; Marianna Kalliostra; , et al. European Association for the Study of Obesity Position Statement on Medical Nutrition Therapy for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults Developed in Collaboration with the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians. Obes Facts (2023) 16 (1): 11–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000528083