Date: TBD

“We Are Not the Same: Differences in Obesity and Metabolic Health Between Women and Men” With Michael Olivier, PhD

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, as the old saying goes, but how similar are we, really? If you look at your spouse, your parents, your siblings – it is clear that we all struggle differently with health, obesity, eating habits, and exercise. And it is not just hormones. Our genes and our lifestyle choices also affect men and women in different ways. Michael Olivier is the director of the Center for Precision Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

July 15

“What’s My Expectation From A Medical Visit in My Obesity Clinic?” With Nia Mitchell, MD

What should an obesity patient expect to receive at a first visit? What are the diagnostics that determine whether one is a large person or has obesity? Nia Mitchell, a general internist and medical weight management specialist at the Duke University’s Diet and Fitness Center, conducts research related to diet, obesity and weight-loss support, which includes several studies of TOPS members and its chapters.

Registration coming soon

Aug. 19

“Dining Out and Ordering In” With Jessica Bartfield, MD, ABOM

Dining out or ordering in while Taking Off Pounds Sensibly – here are some tips for turning mission impossible into mission accomplished. Jessica Bartfield’s talk will include strategies involving meal planning, menu navigation, healthy substitutions, portion control, mindfulness and increased enjoyment, along with minimized guilt. Bartfield, who has dedicated training in clinical nutrition and obesity medicine, is on the faculty at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, and continues to practice obesity medicine at a comprehensive Weight Management Center. Bartfield has helped publish several scientific articles and book chapters, spoken regionally and nationally, and recently started spending more of her time in clinical research.

Registration coming soon

Sept. 30

“VALUES: The Key To Maintaining Motivation Over the Long Term” With David A. Macklin, MD, CCFP

Weight management is a lifelong pursuit, which therefore calls for chronic sustained effort. In evidence-based treatment, an individual is invited to consider, “What are the things in my life that are meaningful enough to make me willing to maintain a sustained effort?” We refer to these meaningful reasons as values, and they serve as a key source of intrinsic motivation in durable weight management treatment. David Macklin is a lecturer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and a University of Toronto-trained family physician.

Registration coming soon

Oct. 28

How We Can Prevent Bullying With Joseph A. Skelton, MD, MS, FAAP, FTOS

Joseph A. Skelton will discuss bullying and weight bias in children and families, and how we can prevent and address these issues. He is a board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist at Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Baptist Health. He has an interest in working with entire families to change behavior as well as working with community organizations who have the same goals. Skelton researches how to incorporate the entire family system into health care and teaches medical students in a field called Culinary Medicine, which is a way to improve nutrition and health through cooking.

Registration coming soon

Nov. 11

“Taking Control: Manage your Weight to Manage Your Diabetes Risk” With Kate Glasenapp, DNP, APRN-BC, BC-ADM, CDE, CBN, CSOWM

We know that carrying excess weight increases health risks. Type 2 diabetes is chronic and progressive, and in this TOPS Talk, we will specifically discuss the link between obesity and the development of pre-diabetes and diabetes, as well as the challenges of managing diabetes that come with obesity. Most importantly, we will focus on small steps to prevent the development or progression of diabetes, to improve management of diabetes, and realistic strategies to improve quality of life. Kate Glasenapp is a Nurse Practitioner and Assistant Professor of the Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Registration coming soon

Dec. 9

“Matching Your Activity To Physical Challenges For a Maximum Benefit” With Ian Patton, PhD

Ian Patton is a passionate patient advocate who works as the Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement of Obesity Canada. In this role, Ian combines his academic background and training with his personal lived experience with obesity to help reach individuals living with obesity across Canada and to realize Obesity Canada's mission of improving the lives of Canadians living with obesity. Patton has also lived with obesity for the majority of his life, and is a post-surgical bariatric patient who now advocates both nationally and globally for improved access to care for individuals living with obesity as well as eliminating weight bias and discrimination.

Registration coming soon