Obesity, Diet, & Behavior

This course, “Obesity, Diet, and Behavior,” will review the behavioral and genetic causation and the biological pathways involved in body fat, obesity, weight gain, weight maintenance, and weight loss. The presenter will describe the complex nature of body fat with a thorough discussion of the role of fat as an endocrine organ, the various types of fat cells, the major differences between visceral and subcutaneous fat, changes in fat across the lifespan, the effects of various hormones on fat, the necessity of fat for reproduction and life, and how fat cells store and release fat in the body. This course will explain the effects of being overweight or obese on health, morbidity rates, and life expectancy with attention paid to the “overweight or obesity paradox.” The complex and even confusing effects of aerobic and muscle-building exercise on weight loss will be explained with recommendations. To help their patients, counselors will review the many causes of weight gain including insulin resistance, chronic stress, sleep apnea, insomnia, several medical disorders, medical and dental medications, gut bacteria, viruses, sex differences, and addiction/pleasure pathways in the brain for hyper-palatable processed sweet, fatty, and salty foods. The course will review the concept of weight loss and weight maintenance with behavioral changes. Counselors will review different types of overeaters and detailed methods of successful behavioral techniques for weight maintenance such as the “100-200 calorie Mindless Margin,” environmental changes and strategies for managing food cravings. The role of emotional overeating in obesity will be described along with evidence-based treatment methods such as mindful eating and cognitive-behavioral therapy for compulsive, impulsive, sad, and anxious overeaters. The diagnosis and treatment of Binge Eating Disorder will be addressed. Finally, the role and effectiveness of exercise, weight training, medications, liposuction, and bariatric surgery will be evaluated as methods of weight loss maintenance.

This workshop will award 6.0 CE clock hour in Diagnosis.  It will not award NBCC credits through LCA.

For more information:  877 246 6336