Pitt Hosts Conference on Long-term Health Benefits of Bariatric Procedures Oct. 15

PITTSBURGH-The long-term health benefits of surgical weight loss procedures will be the focus of the conference Bariatric Surgery: Weight Loss, Metabolic Adaptations, and Physical Activity Considerations, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 15, in Ballroom-B of Pitt's University Club, 123 University Place, Oakland. The event is sponsored by Pitt's Department of Health and Physical Activity and Obesity and Nutrition Research Center (ONRC).

The conference will include a series of lectures designed to engage the numerous physical as well as psychological issues underlying a Bariatric procedure. Featured speakers will include Anita Courcoulas, chief of Pitt's Section of Minimally Invasive Bariatric and General Surgery; Joseph Houmard, director of East Carolina University's Human Performance Laboratory; and Dale Bond, a professor in Brown University School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.

The event also will feature a panel discussion titled Future Scientific and Clinical Opportunities, which will be moderated by John Jakicic, professor and chair of Pitt's Department of Health and Physical Activity, and Bret H. Goodpaster, a professor in Pitt's Department of Medicine.

Founded in 1992, Pitt's ONRC supports research functions for investigators studying the broad areas of obesity and nutrition. The goal of the center is to facilitate and promote research that seeks effective interventions for the prevention and treatment of obesity and a more complete understanding of the causes and complications of obesity.

This event is free, open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Registration is required and deadline for registration is Oct. 8. For more information, contact Diane Casile at 412-488-1059.

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10/5/09/tmw