American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE)

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The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), founded in 1991, is a global, inclusive community of more than 5,700 endocrine-focused clinical members, affiliates and partners from every walk of professional life. AACE is a dynamic organization that continues to lead the way in the endocrine community with clinical knowledge and experience. Formerly known as the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, in 2020 they launched a new name and brand to further their mission, which is elevating the practice of clinical endocrinology to improve global health. AACE prides itself on translating the complex science of some of the world’s most serious, endemic and fast growing diseases in order to optimize patient care, collaborating to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based best practices, and proactively educating and communicating about endocrine diseases and the valuable role endocrinologists play in treating them.

Click here for more information on the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology.

American Academy of Physician Associates

Founded in 1968, the American Academy of PAs is the national professional society for PAs. It represents a profession of more than 140,000 PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and the uniformed services. AAPA advocates and educates on behalf of the profession and the patients PAs serve. They work to ensure the professional growth, personal excellence and recognition of PAs and enhance their ability to improve the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered healthcare.

Click here for more information on the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
 

Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. The Academy regards the prevention of obesity through a healthy lifestyle as a significant public health priority. The Academy and its members are dedicated to reducing the physical and economic costs of obesity and its related problems by providing all people with expert guidance that is personalized, practical and affordable.

Click here for more information on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists

The Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists is a multidisciplinary association of healthcare professionals dedicated to integrating successful self-management as a key outcome in the care of people with diabetes and related conditions. Modern societal forces (an abundance of inexpensive high-calorie foods and high rates of sedentary activities), and constraining social determinants of health (including education, economic status, history and physical environments) have collided with obesity-related behavioral and biological factors and little-understood innate traits of individuals to usher in an 8-fold increase in diagnosed diabetes since 1958. This escalation of diabetes and pre-diabetes affects our social and economic conditions. The primary goal of diabetes education is to improve the health of those with diabetes, pre-diabetes and related conditions through education, community, and self-care initiatives. Diabetes Educators work toward this goal by providing knowledge and skill training, helping individuals identify barriers, and facilitating problem-solving and coping skills to achieve effective self-care behavior and behavior change through the AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors(tm) – Healthy Eating, Being Active, Monitoring, Taking Medication, Problem Solving, Healthy Coping, and Reducing Risks.

Click here for more information on the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists.

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

American Association of Nurse Practitioners was formed in 1985 as the first national organization created for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It is the largest and only full-service national professional membership organization for NPs and represents more than 189,000 NPs currently practicing in the United States. American Association of Nurse Practitioners continually advocates at the local, state and federal levels for the recognition of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, and personalized healthcare. They also work to provide nurse practitioners with a unified way to network and advocate for their issues. American Association of Nurse Practitioners has steadily expanded services to meet its mission to promote excellence in NP practice, education and research; shape the future of healthcare through advancing health policy; and, build a positive image of the NP role as a leader in the national and global healthcare community.

Click here for more information on the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

American Board of Obesity Medicine

The American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) serves the public and the field of obesity medicine by maintaining standards for assessment and credentialing physicians. Certification as an ABOM diplomate signifies specialized knowledge in the practice of obesity medicine and distinguishes a physician as having achieved competency in obesity care. Established in 2011, the ABOM has grown rapidly and counts more than 2,600 certified physicians throughout the United States and Canada. Diplomates come from many fields of medicine including internal medicine, family medicine, endocrinology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, gastroenterology, and more.

Click here for more information on the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

American College of Preventive Medicine

The American College of Preventive Medicine is the national professional society for physicians committed to disease prevention and health promotion. American College of Preventive Medicine’s 2,500 members are engaged in preventive medicine practice, teaching and research. Many serve on committees and task forces and represent preventive medicine in national forums, contributing to the organization’s role as a major national resource of expertise in disease prevention and health promotion. Specialists in preventive medicine are uniquely trained in both clinical medicine and public health. They have the skills needed to understand and reduce the risks of disease, disability and death in individuals and in population groups. You can find preventive medicine trained physicians working in primary care settings and managed care organizations, in public health and government agencies, in workplaces and in academia.

Click here for more information on the American College of Preventive Medicine.

American College of Sports Medicine

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. The American College of Sports Medicine promotes and integrates scientific research, education and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health and quality of life. Working in a wide range of medical specialties, allied health professions, and scientific disciplines, members are committed to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sports-related injuries and the advancement of the science of exercise. From astronauts and athletes to people with chronic diseases or physical challenges, the American College of Sports Medicine continues to look for and find better methods to allow individuals to live longer and more productive lives. Healthy people make a healthier society.

Click here for more information on The American College of Sports Medicine.

American Council on Exercise®

American Council on Exercise® (ACE ®) is a nonprofit organization committed to America’s health and wellbeing through safe and effective exercise and physical activity. ACE’s mission is to ensure people have access to well-qualified health and fitness professionals and health coaches, and science-based information and resources on safe and effective physical activity, so they may get active, establish healthy behavior, and live their most fit lives. ACE believes our nation needs a more prevention-centered way of caring for the health and wellness of its people, and safe, supervised physical activity must be a cornerstone.

Click here for more information on American Council on Exercise®.

American Institute for Cancer Research

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $96 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country.

Click here for more information on the American Institute for Cancer Research.

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy​

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) was founded in 1941 with the purpose of advancing patient care and digestive health. ASGE promotes excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy, provides the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and fosters endoscopic research. ASGE has over 15,000 members worldwide who have highly specialized training in endoscopic procedures of the digestive tract, including upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). ASGE is the only medical society that requires documentation of specific training in GI endoscopic procedures.

Click here for more information on the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

American Society for Nutrition

Founded in 1928, the American Society for Nutrition is dedicated to bringing together the world’s top nutrition research scientists to advance our knowledge and application of nutrition. American Society for Nutrition is a not-for-profit scientific society with over 7,000 members in more than 75 countries working in academia, practice, government and industry. It is also a constituent society of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Through translational research, American Society for Nutrition members are working to understand how obesity develops and negatively impacts the health of individuals. With this basic knowledge, members are developing and evaluating strategies to prevent obesity in individuals, to aid and maintain weight loss, and to identify and advocate for environmental and policy changes that best support a healthy weight in the U.S. population.

Click here for more information about the American Society for Nutrition.

Obesity Canada

With nearly 10,000 professional members, Obesity Canada (formerly the Canadian Obesity Network) is the world’s largest organization working to change the way policy makers and health professionals approach obesity while improving public access to evidence-based prevention and treatment resources.

Click here for more information on Obesity Canada.

OCEANS Lifestyle

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OCEANS Lifestyle is a 501(c)3 non-profit that empowers adolescents on their weight management journey through themselves, their community, and society. OCEANS envisions young people who are empowered, active and confident in their healthy lifestyles and habits, a community that is aware and supportive of these healthy endeavors, and a society that is empathetic and understanding towards the complexities of obesity. OCEANS strives to provide resources and a community to teens, so that the healthy choice isn’t necessarily the least accessible, most expensive, and most difficult decision.
Click here for more information on OCEANS Lifestyle.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC’s top organizational components include the Office of the Director, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and six Coordinating Centers/Offices. CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) protects the health of Americans at every stage of life by encouraging regular physical activity, good nutrition, and preventing adult and childhood obesity. The scope of DNPAO activities includes epidemiological and behavioral research, surveillance, training and education, intervention development, health promotion and leadership, policy and environmental change, communication and social marketing, and partnership development.

Click here for more information on the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.

Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, ScD, MPA

Dr. Uriyoán Colón-Ramos is an Associate Professor and public health nutrition investigator in the Department of Global Health at the George Washington University with expertise working in Latin America and the Caribbean, and with minority populations in the United States. She is trilingual (Spanish, French and English) and has worked extensively in the field of nutrition in global health through collaborations with the Instituto Costarricense de Investigación y Enseñanza en Nutrición y Salud, the PanAmerican Health Organization, the University of Puerto Rico, the University of Costa Rica, the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública de Mexico, and the World Food Programme, among others. Her work has contributed to the knowledge of existing dietary disparities among Hispanic subgroups by country of origin, the process of translation of science into nutrition policy in Latin America, and the social and environmental determinants of dietary behaviors among vulnerable populations in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

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Dr. Colón-Ramos holds a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master’s in Public Administration from Cornell University. She obtained her doctorate in public health nutrition from the Harvard School of Public Health under a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Fellowship. She was the recipient of a Cancer Research Training Award Fellow to complete her postdoctoral studies at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health in the United States. In 2004 the United Nations University named her an emerging leader in nutrition in Latin America. She is currently the co-Principal Investigator of Water UP! (www.waterup.org) of the Avance Center Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health grant from the CDC, and the Principal Investigator of 'Water UP! Latino mothers and young children' and 'Shaping Our Kids’ Diets: Home and Neighborhood', and of studies that examine family environment, stress, and dietary risk factors for diabetes among Latinos/Hispanics. She collaborates in the diet and food environment assessment of the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN), a population-based cohort study in four islands of the Caribbean, to strengthen capacity for the design and implementation of actionable health outcomes in the Eastern Caribbean. Dr. Colón-Ramos brings a unique perspective rooted in sociology and policy to the field of nutritional sciences. She employs mixed methods to identify and understand the dietary determinants of underserved, at-risk populations, and to better inform nutrition policies and programs.

 

Click here for more information on Dr. Colón-Ramos

Dr. Stephen Cook, MD, MPH

Dr. Stephen Cook, MD, MPH, is dual trained in pediatric and adult-internal medicine. After completing his residency and a chief resident year in Buffalo NY, he joined the Golisano Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center in 2001. He completed an academic pediatric fellowship there, during which time he focused on his research and clinical aspects on nutrition, physical activity, obesity and the metabolic complications that arise. He currently sees patients and teaches medical student and residents. Dr. Cook's research focuses on childhood and adolescent obesity from the perspective of epidemiologic research on cardiovascular risk factors to clinical studies on approaches to prevention and intervention.

Click here for more information on Dr. Stephen Cook.

Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS

The Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service is dedicated to improving and protecting the public health of the United States by addressing unmet health needs and providing support for its more than 7,000 members. The Commissioned Officers Association protects the interests of the Commissioned Corps officers of the U.S. Public Health Service, who are leaders in the realms of public and global health. Recent achievements in legislative advocacy include the Senate passing of amendments that will fix the Survivor Benefit Plan and provide for concurrent receipt of military retiree pay and VA disability compensation. The Association also provides educational opportunities such as the U.S. Public Health Service Professional Conference, held annually.

Click here for more information on the Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service.

COPE

The MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education (COPE) serves as a locus for interdisciplinary collaboration in the prevention of obesity through education and research. COPE supports and develops programs that promote healthy weight management and encourages lifestyles that reduce and prevent obesity-related diseases.

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Endocrine Society

Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. The Society works to foster a greater understanding of endocrinology among the general public and practitioners of complementary medical disciplines and to promote the interests of all endocrinologists at the national scientific research and health policy levels of government.

Click here for more information on the Endocrine Society.

Global Liver Institute

The Global Liver Institute (GLI) is the collaboration and innovation platform for the liver community worldwide. The GLI serves the liver community by: (1) Increasing the voice for liver issues in the global public health conversation; (2)Facilitating collaborative approaches and knowledge–sharing among patient advocates, policymakers, regulators, public health officials, clinicians and researchers in liver disease and therapeutic areas relevant to liver disease (e.g. HIV, IBD, cancer) and (3) Attracting and highlighting innovation, particularly digital/technical innovation, to challenges faced by liver patients.

Click here for more information on GLI.

Healthcare Leadership Council

The Healthcare Leadership Council, a coalition of chief executives from all disciplines within American healthcare, is the exclusive forum for the nation’s healthcare leaders to jointly develop policies, plans, and programs to achieve their vision of a 21st century system that makes affordable, high-quality care accessible to all Americans. Healthcare Leadership Council believes that preventing overweight and obesity and related chronic diseases plays an important role in improving health and making the most efficient use of healthcare expenditures. Healthcare Leadership Council promotes the importance of prevention and chronic care management as a core component of healthcare delivery, the need for new approaches that result in savings as counted by the Congressional Budget Office, and the inclusion of chronic care management and wellness as critical components of health reform.

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HealthyWomen

HealthyWomen, a national, nonprofit organization, is the nation’s leading independent health information source for women. For more than 20 years, HealthyWomen’s unbiased and accurate health and wellness information has earned the trust of both women and health care professionals.

Click here for more information on HealthyWomen.

Institute for Health and Productivity Management

The Institute for Health and Productivity Management is a global enterprise devoted to establishing the value of employee health as an investment in human capital and organizational performance. The Institute’s Workplace Center for Metabolic Health was created specifically to address obesity and its metabolic and cardiovascular co-morbidities of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemias, which collectively cost the nation tens of billions of dollars in direct medical expense and lost productivity. Obesity has superseded smoking as the nation’s Public Health Enemy Number One, and the workplace is an ideal setting in which to begin stemming the tide of this modern epidemic.

Click here for more information on the Institute for Health and Productivity Management.

International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association

International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs and suppliers worldwide. IHRSA is committed to taking a leadership role in advancing physical activity, which is critical to America’s health and the battle against obesity and disease. IHRSA supports affective national initiatives to promote more active lifestyles for all Americans and is working to pass laws that will help affect societal changes toward a healthier, more prosperous America.

Click here for more information about the organization.

Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health

The Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health (JIWH) was founded in 1990 and became part of The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in 2006. JIWH works to continuously improve the health care of women across their lifespan and in all populations. JIWH promotes environments where an interdisciplinary audience, including health care professionals, researchers, policymakers, consumers and advocates come together to discuss ways to advance women’s health. JIWH publishes Women’s Health Issues (WHI), a leading peer-reviewed, bimonthly, multidisciplinary journal that publishes scholarly research manuscripts related to women’s health services and policy.

Click here for more information on JIWH.

Joslin Diabetes Center

Joslin Diabetes Center, a teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a one-of-a-kind institution on the front lines of the world epidemic of diabetes — leading the battle to conquer diabetes in all of its forms through cutting-edge research and innovative approaches to clinical care and education. Overweight and obesity are the major health problems that contribute to the development and progression of type 2 diabetes. Weight management in patients with diabetes is critical to optimal diabetes care and overall health. Proper use of new and evolving knowledge is important to implementing a successful multidisciplinary diabetes and weight management program which allows novel and effective clinical practice strategies. The goal being the proper prevention and management of the dual obesity and diabetes to minimize the cardiovascular risk and the risk for other medical problems associated with them.

Click here for more information on Joslin Diabetes Center.

MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health

The MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health (MCMH) is a diverse group of organizations who have come together to change how the nation perceives and approaches our country’s challenges to metabolic health, including diabetes and obesity. MCMH intends to effect change by educating and advocating for public policies and increased funding for obesity education, research, treatment, and care. The vision of the coalition is to influence change in the US health care system, and to urge policymakers to recognize that metabolic diseases like obesity are complex and chronic and deserve to be treated seriously in the same fashion as other chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer. People affected by obesity require access to the same medically necessary and covered treatment avenues afforded to all others who suffer from chronic disease.

Click here for more information on MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health.

Michael Long, Sc.D, MPH

Dr. Long is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health.Dr. Long is also Affiliated Faculty at the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness and an Associate at the Center for Health and Healthcare in Schools. Dr. Long conducts research at the intersection of epidemiology and quantitative policy analysis with the goal of identifying cost-effective and politically feasible policy solutions to promote community health. His work over the past decade has focused on identifying policy approaches to reversing the obesity epidemic in the United States. Dr. Long is also a Collaborating Mentor at the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Prior to joining the faculty at GW in 2015, Dr. Long was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health focused on obesity epidemiology and cost-effectiveness analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health Prevention Research Center. He earned his Doctor of Science degree in 2013 from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences and a Master of Public Health degree from the Yale School of Public Health, where he worked at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Princeton University.

Click here for more information on Dr. Long.

National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions

The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) is the only nonprofit, purchaser-led organization with a national and regional structure dedicated to driving health and healthcare value across the country. Its members represent private and public sector, nonprofit and Taft-Hartley organizations, and more than 45 million Americans, spending over $300 billion annually on healthcare. The National Alliance has developed a multi-faceted approach to engage multiple stakeholders in addressing obesity. This initiative has a longer-term focus of producing meaningful impact in the health of our populations through education, policy, population/community health, and treatment. An online portal was developed to share resources and best practices. 

Click here for more information on the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.

Karina Lora, PhD, RD

Dr. Lora joined the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at The George Washington University in August of 2018. Dr. Lora is a community/public health nutritionist with a long standing record of working with undeserved multicultural populations. Dr. Lora research focuses broadly on childhood obesity prevention in minority populations. One of Dr. Lora’s research goals is to understand the individual, behavioral, and home environmental factors that influence dietary patterns of family members to develop and implement interventions that are culturally relevant for success. Dr. Lora has a strong interest in integrating teaching and research to provide students with pedagogical approaches that enhance their learning outcomes, cultural competence skills, and awareness of social issues while benefiting communities by evaluating community/public health programs to improve their delivery and impact. Prior to joining The George Washington University, Dr. Lora was a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, Researcher at the University of Connecticut Health Center, and a Faculty Specialist at the University of Maryland.

Click here for more information on Dr. Lora.

Dr. Lisa Martin, GW School of Medicine

Lisa Warsinger Martin, MD, FACC is a faculty member in the Division of Cardiology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences. Dr. Martin joined the faculty of the George Washington University (GW) in 2007. In 2008, Dr. Martin took over as the Principle Investigator for the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), GW site. Dr. Martin has been active in the WHI organization since that time, and has been on the Publication and Presentation Committee to review new proposals and articles. She has also participated in writing proposals and papers with regard to women’s cardiovascular health. Dr. Martin also became the Lipid Clinic director at The GW Medical Faculty Associates when she joined the faculty in 2007. She has taken care of patients with difficult lipid problems, intolerance to statins, and has advised patients as to whether they should be on lipid therapy. Dr. Martin also teaches medical students, particularly in learning how to interact with patients.

 

Click here for more information on Dr. Lisa Martin.

Melissa Napolitano, PhD

Dr. Napolitano is a Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health. She also holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Exercise Science. Trained as a clinical health psychologist, Dr. Napolitano has expertise in adapting face-to-face treatment content for dissemination via different delivery channels. Her work specifically focuses on physical activity promotion, weight loss, and prevention of weight gain (e.g., among college students, following smoking cessation). She is particularly interested in the developmental life stage of emerging adulthood and contributing to the understanding of the formation of positive eating and exercise behaviors, as well as eating disorder risk behaviors. She currently is the PI of a two-site R01 (DK 100916) examining the efficacy of digital strategies, including Facebook and text messaging for promoting weight management among young adults. Dr. Napolitano is a consultant to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (PAGAC), specifically working with the Physical Activity Promotion Subcommittee. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Physical Activity and Health, and most recently completed leadership as Chair of the the Physical Activity Special Interest Group for the Society of Behavioral Medicine. She serves in review and editorial capacities as a standing member of the Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention Study Section and Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. Prior to joining GWU in 2012, Dr. Napolitano served on the faculties of Brown Medical School and Temple University where she was also a research scientist at the Center for Obesity Research and Education. Dr. Napolitano's research, which includes a blend of face-to-face contacts and technological components, has high translation potential and is well-suited for developing multidisciplinary partnerships.

Click here for more information on Dr. Napolitano.

National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is a national public health association, founded in 1988 to link the chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. territory to provide a national forum for chronic disease prevention and control efforts. Since its founding, NACDD has made impressive strides in mobilizing national efforts to reduce chronic diseases and the associated risk factors. NACDD works to reduce the impact of chronic diseases on the American population by advocating for preventative policies and programs, encouraging knowledge sharing and developing partnerships for health promotion. NACDD supports different Councils, Interest Groups and Work Groups focusing on physical activity, healthy nutrition, and obesity and other diseases. These include: Arthritis, Breast & Cervical Cancer, Cardiovascular Health, Comprehensive Cancer, Diabetes, Health Disparities, Healthy Aging, Obesity, Osteoporosis, Pacific Islands, Physical Activity, Physicians, School Health, Tobacco Control Network, Vision & Eye Health, and Women’s Health. Each addresses the unique aspects of specific chronic diseases to advance prevention and control efforts in those areas as well as professional development for chronic disease staff with common program interests.

Click here for more information on the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.

National Association of Social Workers

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the United States, with more than 120,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies. Across health care settings, social workers are part of interprofessional care delivery teams that help patients with complex needs navigate medical and social supports. The social work profession promotes well-being and social workers serve vulnerable populations with chronic physical and mental conditions. Social workers work as private practitioners and are employed in a variety of health care settings. They provide psychosocial support to patients and families and clinical social workers provide clinical assessment and treatment for mental health conditions.

Click here for more information on the National Association of Social Workers.

National Black Nurses Association

The National Black Nurses Association was established to provide a forum for collective action by African-American nurses to investigate, define and determine what the health care needs of African Americans are and to implement change to make health care commensurate with that of the larger society available to African Americans and other minorities. The National Black Nurses Association represents more than 150,000 African-American registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses, nursing students and retired nurses from the United States, Eastern Caribbean and Africa, with 79 chartered chapters, in 34 states. In 2008, the National Black Nurses Association launched its National Obesity Initiative to help stem the tide of chronic diseases caused by obesity and lack of exercise among African-American nurses.

Click here for more information on the National Black Nurses Association.

Ohio State University

Ohio State University’s vision is to be the world’s healthiest university. Ohio State’s One University Health & Wellness Council (established 2011) operationalizes this dream by bringing together all health and wellness activities (e.g., healthcare delivery, academic, HR and Student Life, research, etc.) at the university to promote a comprehensive, strategic and unified effort to advance health promotion and wellness for all. Ohio State launched three major discovery themes in 2012 that will help shape our institutional research efforts: health & wellness is prime among them, in addition to food production & security, and energy & environment. The University also conducted the nation’s First National Summit on Building Healthy Academic Communities (April 2013) with attendance of more than 300 leaders from 93 institutions of higher learning across the country, followed by the founding of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities, which aims to promote population health and wellness for the 33 million students, faculty and staff who live, study and/or work on American college campuses and their surrounding communities.

Click here for more information.

OsteoArthritis Action Alliance

The Osteoarthritis (OA) Action Alliance is a national coalition of concerned organizations mobilized by the Arthritis Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This coalition is committed to elevating OA as a national health priority and promoting effective policy solutions that aim to address the individual and national toll of OA. In addition, the OA Action Alliance, with the public health community, is working to ensure people with OA have the access, skills and capacity to benefit from effective and proven interventions.

 

Click here for more information on the OsteoArthritis Action Alliance.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center puts science to work for a healthier Louisiana. A world research leader, their mission is to discover the triggers of chronic diseases through innovative research that improves human health across the lifespan. At the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the causes of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia, Pennington Biomedical is a campus of Louisiana State University and conducts basic, clinical and population research. The research enterprise at the center includes approximately 63 faculty and more than 18 post-doctoral fellows who comprise a network of 44 laboratories supported by lab technicians, nurses, dietitians and support personnel, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities.

 

Click here for more information on the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Primary Care Metabolic Group

The Primary Care Metabolic Group (PCMG) is a national educational initiative providing comprehensive metabolic disease education. PCMG’s mission is to provide a representative forum for primary care clinicians involved in metabolic disease management and raise standards of patient care through the dissemination of best practices, education programs, and communication among members.

Click here for more information on the Primary Care Metabolic Group.

UNIDOS US

UNIDOS US (formerly National Council of La Raza) – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States – works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations, the Council reaches millions of Hispanics across the U.S. UNIDOS’s health programs are housed in the Institute of Hispanic Health (IHH). IHH is dedicated to reducing the incidence, burden and impact of health problems in Hispanic Americans. IHH is dedicated to delivering quality health interventions that focus on the improvement of access to and use of health promotion and disease prevention programs. IHH is committed to providing technical assistance and science-based approaches that are culturally competent and linguistically appropriate.

Click here for more information on the UNIDOS US.

National Hispanic Medical Association

The National Hispanic Medical Association, a non-profit association representing 36,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States, was established in 1994 to improve the health of Hispanics and other underserved populations. As a rapidly growing national resource based in Washington, D.C., National Hispanic Medical Association provides policymakers and health care providers with expert information and support in strengthening health service delivery to Hispanic communities across the nation. The National Hispanic Medical Association is targeting obesity as a major health concern for Hispanics and other underserved populations and has recently undertaken an initiative that calls for a national education campaign on diabetes and obesity in conjunction with their medical societies in New York, Texas and California. They also created a health portal, www.HispanicHealth.info, to provide important information on obesity, diabetes and other critical health issues.

Click here for more information on the National Hispanic Medical Association.

Obesity Medicine Association

The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) is the largest organization of clinicians dedicated to preventing, treating, and reversing the disease of obesity. Through unique, accredited educational resources, collaboration, and thought leadership, OMA members continue to advance the practice of obesity medicine and deliver evidence-based treatments. OMA believes that sustained results – brought about by comprehensive, individualized treatment plans – improves overall health and provides hope for those affected by obesity. To learn about the Obesity Algorithm, OMA’s primary free resource for helping health care providers navigate the different approaches to obesity treatment, click here.

To learn more about OMA, click here.

Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

 

The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity is a non-profit research and public policy organization devoted to promoting solutions to childhood obesity, poor diet, and weight bias through research and policy. The Rudd Center serves as a leader in building broad-based consensus to change diet and activity patterns, while holding industry and government agencies responsible for safeguarding public health. The Center serves as a leading research institution and clearinghouse for resources that add to our understanding of the complex forces affecting how we eat, how we stigmatize people with obesity, and how we can change.

 

Click here for more information on the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

 

Jennifer Sacheck, Ph.D., FACSM

Jennifer Sacheck, Ph.D., FACSM is the Sanofi Professor of Prevention and Wellness & Chair, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Dr. Sacheck’s research focuses on the impact of both diet and physical activity on health outcomes, with an emphasis on pediatric health disparities. Her research has spanned laboratory studies to community-based engagement where she translates the latest science on nutrition and physical activity into real world applicability. Dr. Sacheck was an appointed member of the Institute of Medicine’s committee on Fitness and Health Outcomes in Youth and is also a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, where she actively participates on advisory committees on national health policy and youth sports and health initiatives.

 

Click here for more information on Dr. Jennifer Sacheck.

Society of Behavioral Medicine

The Society of Behavioral Medicine is a multidisciplinary organization of clinicians, educators, and scientists dedicated to promoting the study of the interactions of behavior with biology and the environment, and the application of that knowledge to improve the health and well being of individuals, families, communities and populations. Developments in healthcare reform demonstrate how scientific advances influence the health of the nation and provide exciting opportunities for Society of Behavioral Medicine to achieve their vision of better health through behavior change. The SBM Board has identified areas where their Society could contribute, at the public policy level, to improving health through advances in behavioral medicine and obesity prevention is one such area.

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Allison Sylvetsky Meni, PhD

Dr. Sylvetsky Meni is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and is Director of the Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science undergraduate degree program. She is also affiliated faculty at the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness and a Special Volunteer at the National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Sylvetsky Meni joined the Milken Institute School of Public Health as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Spring 2014 and transitioned to a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in February 2016. Prior to joining the GW faculty, Dr. Sylvetsky Meni was a post-doctoral fellow in the Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch of NIDDK in the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), before which she completed her doctorate in Nutrition and Health Science from Emory University. Dr. Sylvetsky Meni's research focuses broadly on obesity and diabetes in youth. Her primary research interests are in studying the consumption and health effects of sugar-sweetened beverages and low-calorie (artificial) sweeteners. She also studies the role of early life dietary exposures on future weight and health, as well as the role of the diet in the prevention and management of diabetes in youth.

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Shelly Ver Ploeg

Michele (Shelly) Ver Ploeg, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, and Director of the Food Policy Institute at the George Washington University (GW). Ver Ploeg joined GW after spending 16 years at the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most recently as the Acting Assistant Administrator. She was also the Chief of the Food Assistance Branch for 2 years at ERS, where she led a team of economists and social scientists charged with producing data and research on food security, food assistance programs and food store access. Professor Ver Ploeg's research focuses on how U.S. food and agriculture policies impact food security, diet, health, and the overall well-being of Americans and vulnerable populations such as low-income households, children, and the elderly.
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Dr. Ginger Winston, GW School of Medicine

Ginger Winston, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences. She is board-certified in internal medicine and her research focuses on obesity.

 

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World Obesity Federation

World Obesity Federation represents professional members of the scientific, medical and research communities from over 50 regional and national obesity associations. Through its membership World Obesity Federation creates a global community of organizations dedicated to solving the problems of obesity. Its mission is to lead and drive global efforts to reduce, prevent and treat obesity.

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