On September 9, the Endocrine Society launched a new Center on Obesity during an exclusive event for Endocrine Society members. The new Center seeks to accelerate scientific understanding of obesity and advance treatments for people worldwide who have obesity. The Center launched with a webinar featuring the release of our new Scientific Statement, “Obesity Science, Research Gaps and Opportunities in the New of Obesity Medicine" and presentations by obesity experts Drs. Daniel Drucker, Amy Rothberg, and Mehmet Furkan Burak who co-chairs the Society’s new Special Interest Group (SIG) on Obesity. The launch webinar was attended by hundreds of members of the Society. The webinar was recorded and is now available in the Obesity Special Interest Group (SIG), located in your online community, EndoForum.
Leveraging members’ expertise in hormonal causes and treatments of obesity, the Center features the latest programs and resources to help Endocrine Society members, policymakers, the media and the public, to better understand the issue of obesity. The Center curates the latest articles from the Society’s premier journals, provides information on upcoming meetings and educational opportunities, offers a platform to voice your opinions on policies that affect obesity treatment and research, and offers educational information for policymakers on the issue of obesity. Alongside the launch of the Center, the Society released an updated version of our Obesity Playbook, which is an educational resource guide for policymakers providing foundational information on the issue of obesity. The Center also includes information and resources on the Medicare Bridge Program, a new program launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which provides eligible Medicare beneficiaries with access to GLP-1 medications for weight loss. This week’s launch of the Center generated press coverage from major outlets as well as endocrine focused publications.
We invite you to visit the new digital home for the Center on the Society’s website.
On Wednesday, September 9 the Endocrine Society released our latest scientific statement “Obesity science, research gaps, and opportunities in the new era of obesity medicines.” Led by Dr. Daniel Drucker, MD, with a writing group of 8 authoritative experts, the statement summarizes over 200 recent publications illustrating what we know about the fundamental physiology of weight gain/loss, and how new obesity medications have transformed our understanding of, and ability to treat, this chronic disease. The statement also includes a discussion of safety considerations for new obesity medications, and ongoing trials that will further refine treatment goals, safety, and health outcomes beyond weight loss. Importantly, the authors also identify gaps in our knowledge and critical areas of future research to better align treatment goals with patient needs, including:
The statement, alongside the Endocrine Society’s new Center on Obesity, reflects our members’ unique expertise and foundational contributions to the field of obesity research and medicine. We look forward to sharing the statement with research funders and other decisionmakers to guide research strategies and improve treatment options for this chronic condition.
TAKE ACTION: The Endocrine Society is working to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and protect NIH from cuts and further disruption. Inadequate funding and proposed regulations threaten your research! We are urging Congress to protect the NIH and provide the NIH with at least $51.303 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2027. We are also calling on Congress to permanently prevent the implementation of the proposed OMB rule. It is imperative that all Senators and Representatives hear from their constituents about the importance of funding NIH. Many congressional offices are not aware how disruptions to grant funding threaten the work done in their states or districts. Please join this new online campaign today!
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