I’m off to New Orleans for The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) 2010 Annual Meeting

Thursday I travel to New Orleans for the annual meeting of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP), during which ASBP will celebrate its 60th anniversary. ASBP was established in 1951 and is the oldest medical association dedicated to the education of medical professionals treating obesity and its clinical consequences.

I am looking forward to this event as it provides me with an opportunity to hear about  the latest developments in the field of medical bariatrics. This year several new drugs are being reviewed by the FDA for consideration to be approved for use in clinical medicine. I will meet with my collegues to compare notes on our experiences and approaches in helping patients lose weight and keeping it off. There will be a large exhibition hall at the meeting where I will talk to various vendors who provide supplements and meal replacements which I employ in my treatment programs. I usually sample many new products and bring back samples for my patients. This year I will attend a session for all board certified bariatricians like myself who have sucessfully passed their recertification exam. The field is exploding with new reports and I keep up to date by taking the time away from my practice to attend such meetings.