In this special series on obesity, our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik, discusses the obesity epidemic with some of the foremost experts in the world. In Part 4 of the series, Dr. Skolnik is joined by Drs. Deborah Horn and Robert Kushner. Together they discuss challenges, and potential solutions, in obesity management.

The Focus on Obesity series is a collaborative project of the American Diabetes Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The entire program will comprise a total of seven episodes: four episodes of Diabetes Core Update, which will cover topics of interest for family physicians, primary care clinicians, and other health care professionals; as well as three episodes of its sister podcast, Diabetes Day by Day, which will be tailored for people with overweight or obesity and their caregivers. The combined seven-episode program will be released between February and June 2024 and can be freely accessed at https://diabetesjournals.org/journals/pages/podcasts_obesity.

Funding support for the “Focus on Obesity” series is jointly provided by Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Deborah B. Horn, DO, MPH, Medical Director for the UT Center of Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Performance; Fellowship Program Director, Allison Family Foundation Fellowship in Clinical Obesity Medicine and Metabolism, McGovern Medical School

Robert Kushner, MD, Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and Medical Education Feinburg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and Medical Director of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago

Selected references:

STEP – 4 Trial - Rubino D, Abrahamsson N, Davies M, et al. Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021; 325(14), 1414-1425. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.3224

SURMOUNT-4 Trial - Aronne LJ, Sattar N, Horn DB, et al. Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults With Obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2024;331(1):38–48. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.24945

Diabetes Core Update is a monthly podcast that presents and discusses the latest clinically relevant articles from the American Diabetes Association’s four science and medical journals – Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Clinical Diabetes, and Diabetes Spectrum. Each episode is approximately 25 minutes long and presents 5-6 recently published articles from ADA journals.

Intended for practicing physicians and health care professionals, Diabetes Core Update discusses how the latest research and information published in journals of the American Diabetes Association are relevant to clinical practice and can be applied in a treatment setting.

Welcome to diabetes core update where every month we go over the most important articles to come out in the field of diabetes. Articles that are important for practicing clinicians to understand to stay up with the rapid changes in the field.

This issue will review:

1. Loneliness and the risk of type 2 diabetes

2. Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events

3. Tirzepatide vs Insulin Glargine by BMI

4. Influence of a diet and/or exercise intervention on long-term mortality and vascular complications in people with impaired glucose tolerance

5. Timing of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, mortality, cardiovascular disease, and microvascular disease in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes

For more information about each of ADA’s science and medical journals, please visit www.diabetesjournals.org.

Hosts:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health

In this special series on obesity, our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik, discusses the obesity epidemic with some of the foremost experts in the world. In Part 3 of the series, Dr. Skolnik is joined by Drs. Susan Fidler, Charles Vega, and Margot Savoy. Together, they talking about discussing obesity with patients – how to open the conversation on this sensitive topic, how to handle resistance to addressing the topic, and how to avoid stigma and bias.

The Focus on Obesity series is a collaborative project of the American Diabetes Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The entire program will comprise a total of seven episodes: four episodes of Diabetes Core Update, which will cover topics of interest for family physicians, primary care clinicians, and other health care professionals; as well as three episodes of its sister podcast, Diabetes Day by Day, which will be tailored for people with overweight or obesity and their caregivers. The combined seven-episode program will be released between February and June 2024 and can be freely accessed at https://diabetesjournals.org/journals/pages/podcasts_obesity.

Funding support for the “Focus on Obesity” series is jointly provided by Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Dr. Susan Fidler is Associate Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Abington Jefferson Health.

Charles Vega, M.D., Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, Director, UC Irvine Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community, and Associate Dean in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine.

Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP serves as senior vice president for education, inclusiveness, and physician well-being at the American Academy of Family Physicians