CMWL
What we’re seeing is a gradual acceptance among the physician community that obesity is in fact a disease that should be treated by trained and skilled medical providers.
Tarrytown, NY (PRWEB) May 21, 2014
The Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL), the largest network for non-surgical medical weight loss providers in the U.S., plans to open its July CME seminar, held on July 10 through July 13 in Las Vegas, to non-participating members of the CMWL network in an effort to broaden the scope of medical providers with the tools and education needed to address America's obesity epidemic. The conference will feature presentations from leading obesity medicine experts on the latest research on the treatment of the chronic disease.
“What we’re seeing is a gradual acceptance among the medical community that obesity is in fact a disease that should be treated by trained and skilled medical providers,” said Dr. Michael S. Kaplan, founder and chief medical officer of CMWL. “We feel passionately that medical providers should take action to overcome historical barriers to sustainable treatment of patients afflicted with obesity, and that is what CMWL is trying to facilitate.”
The primary historical barriers include lack of obesity medicine training and lack of professional confidence in treating obese and overweight patients. CMWL fills those gaps by providing a robust curriculum of clinical and practice management training, as well as cutting-edge obesity screening and treatment technology that integrates into an existing practice or health care system.
“We’re excited to play a leading role in the evolution of medical weight management,” said Kevin Eberly, CEO of CMWL. “CMWL’s mission has always been to provide patients with a proven approach to long-term weight loss, and the medical community with the support to achieve positive health outcomes. Our training and technology platform, called the Obesity Treatment System, is designed to make the obesity screening and treatment process, as well as practice management procedures, as simple as possible to follow. We want the general medical provider community to understand that obesity treatment can now operate on a mass scale.”
July’s CME conference and CMWL’s Obesity Treatment System come at a crucial time, as there is more need than ever for medical providers who specialize in weight loss. Currently, two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, and a recent survey published in BMJ Open found only 44 percent of primary care providers reported success in helping obese patients lose weight. By opening the CME seminar to non-network medical providers for the first time, more providers will gain valuable knowledge on risk factors associated with obesity and treatment options and learn about CMWL's scientifically proven obesity treatment system.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends all adults be screened for obesity annually, and the American Medical Association officially declared obesity a chronic disease in 2013, representing a shift in the health care system that encourages providers to discuss weight issues with their patients. Primary care providers are usually the first people exposed to a patient at risk for obesity, and the sooner the issue is acknowledged, the sooner steps are taken to treat it, resulting in fewer long-term health issues. The features of the Obesity Treatment System serve as a guide for this discussion, allowing providers to optimize the time they spend with patients.
About The Center for Medical Weight Loss
The Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL) programs provide an approach to long-term weight loss and maintenance under the care and support of trained medical providers. Each fully individualized program is customized to the patient, taking into account his or her medical history, body composition, and personal goals. This individual care is supported with ongoing one-on-one counseling by the provider on important topics including nutrition, fitness, behavioral modification, motivation, and, where necessary, prescribed medications. Providers in The Center for Medical Weight Loss network are all certified professionals specially trained in non-surgical obesity medicine who have access to the latest techniques and medical data, including high-quality nutritional products and FDA-approved weight loss medications only available to medical doctors. The CMWL programs are clinically proven and evidence-based. For more information, visit http://www.centerformedicalweightloss.com.