Obesity Course Live Events Sessions and Objectives

Session Title: Obesity as a Chronic Disease

Description:  This session will describe the chronic nature of obesity and provide evidence-based strategies for RDNs to effectively provide weight management services. Obesity treatment guidelines for nutrition, weight loss medications, and bariatric surgery will be covered. The key role of the RDN in weight management and promoting health-related quality of life during all stages of obesity treatment will also be discussed. 

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. describe the chronic nature of obesity and implications for treatment;
2. discuss the evidence-based weight management guidelines for nutrition, weight loss medications, and bariatric surgery;
3. discuss the RDN’s role in supporting persons with obesity to achieve their overall health goals and promoting health-related quality of life during all stages of obesity management.

Session Title: Counseling and Behavior Management

Description:  The core issues of counseling will be discussed. Practical considerations for how these tools are implemented and the “spirit” behind these techniques will be provided. Participants will be given opportunities to identify areas of strengths and areas in which they would like to improve. The ability to practice techniques will be provided.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. recognizes and applies education and learning theories and principles in practice;
2. establishes, develops and implements program outlines and learning plans to meet the needs of various individuals, groups and populations;
3. uses effective counseling and coaching skills and strategies in practice.

Session Title: Delivering Trauma Informed Counseling

Description: The concept of trauma is introduced as a key health modifier.  Trauma’s impact on physical and emotional systems will be discussed and the potential impact trauma can have on both nutrition and lifestyle modification will be highlighted. Practical considerations for how Registered Dietitian Nutritionists can embrace this concept in delivering trauma-informed care will be introduced as well.  

Learning Objectives:

1. recognizes the role trauma can play in a patient’s overall health;
2. understands the systems that can be impacted by trauma;
3. be capable of differentiating between traditional medical nutrition therapy and trauma informed nutrition care.

Session Title: Telehealth for Effective Weight Management

Description: The concept of telehealth will be introduced and discussed.  The legal implications that must be considered by RDN’s will be presented.  Several resources and tips will be shared with attendees so that they can better utilize telehealth in their own practice areas.  The Pros and Cons of telehealth as it compares to face-to-face counseling will also be addressed.  

Learning Objectives:

1. recognizes the role telehealth plays in the field of nutrition counseling;
2. understands the legal considerations RDN’s must be aware of in practicing in this new way;
3. be capable of identifying several ways of making telehealth engaging for patients and clients in individual and group settings.

Session Title: Navigating Challenges Sessions

Description: These sessions encourage participants to think critically about challenges posed by limited health literacy, weight bias, fad diets and health at every size. Attendees will learn about strategies for working with people with limited health literacy and will practice using plain writing guidelines. They will share instances of weight bias that they have witnessed in their practice and discuss opportunities to advocate for people with obesity. Lastly, they will critically review popular diets and how they might fit in evidence-based practice settings in both adults and pediatrics. Through individual reflection, group discussion, and didactic portions, participants will enhance their ability to navigate these common challenges.

Learning Objectives:

1. apply appropriate communication strategies in the presence of limited health literacy;
2. implement protocols to prevent weight bias from affecting patient care;
3. evaluate popular diets for use in a patient’s weight management plan.

Session Title: Physical Activity and Overweight and Obesity: Children, Youth and Adults

Description: This session will explore methods for assessing physical activity (PA) and fitness in children, adolescents, and adults. We will also examine physiologic and metabolic differences in healthy weight youth, and youth and adults with obesity. Evidence-based PA recommendations and guidelines for specific populations and special conditions which may require a referral will be discussed. Participants will experience various PA types and intensities and apply information to two case studies.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. identify appropriate and reliable physical activity assessment & tracking tools for children and adults;
2. identify impact of physical activity on physiologic and metabolic factors;
3. utilize evidence-based recommendations and/or strategies for physical activity in the treatment of overweight obesity;
4. recognize when a referral to an appropriate health professional of physical activity is warranted;
5. apply physical activity knowledge and strategies to a case study.

Session Title:  Fundamentals of Pediatric Obesity

Description:   In this session, you will learn about the complex etiology of obesity in the pediatric population. This knowledge will encompass learning about the epidemiology, prevalence, demographics, pathophysiology, and the role of genetics in pediatric overweight and obesity. The learner will be able to ascertain how obesity in childhood leads to chronic disease and other risk factors in adulthood. 

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. describe the epidemiology and prevalence of overweight and obesity in the pediatric population;
2. relate chronic disease risk factors in a pediatric population to the presence of overweight and obesity;
3. discuss the persistence of chronic disease risk factors and weight bias present in childhood and adolescence into adulthood;
4. explain the pathophysiology of overweight and obesity;
5. evaluate the genetic component in the prevalence and development of pediatric overweight and obesity.

Session Title: Client Encounter – Pregnancy and Toddlerhood

In Utero

Learning Objectives:

1. identify physiologic, metabolic and psychological factors at each stage of the life cycle that may predispose a patient to weight gain (e.g. maternal health (fetal programming) gestational weight gain, stages of growth in childhood, puberty, pregnancy, menopause, sarcopenia);
2. compare strategies for prevention of excess weight gain at each stage of the life cycle

Learning Objectives:

Tara as a Toddler

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. describe age- and developmentally appropriate activity patterns, feeding practices, eating behaviors for toddlers, children, and adolescents;
2. describe the impact of parental food choices and feeding practices on pediatric eating behaviors and risk for developing overweight or obesity;
3. compare strategies for prevention of excess weight gain at each stage of the life cycle

Session Title: Client Encounter – Childhood and Adolescence

Learning Objectives:

Childhood

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. apply current evidence-based or best practice recommendations for dietary management of weight status and associated medical comorbidities in the pediatric population;
2. describe the impact of parental food choices and feeding practices on pediatric eating behaviors and risk for developing overweight or obesity;
3. identify and utilize evidence-based or best practice recommendations for screening tools used to assess overweight and obesity in the pediatric population;
4. develop goals and an age, gender and developmentally appropriate family-centered plan for medical nutrition therapy for weight management of the pediatric patient;
5. practice the tenets of client-centered counseling for the prevention and management of overweight and obesity;
6. define BMI percentile, height for age, weight for age, and sexual maturity ratings and identify their indications for use in the anthropometric assessment of a toddler, child, and adolescent.

Learning Objectives:

Adolescence

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. identify appropriate, evidenced-based interventions and recommendations for pediatric patients based on factors such as biomarkers, anthropometrics, comorbidities, family history, etc;
2. identify risk factors and symptoms of disordered eating patterns using appropriate screening tools and resources;
3. compare strategies for prevention of excess weight gain at each stage of the life cycle

Session Title: Health Promotion Throughout the Lifecycle

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

1. define each level of the social ecological framework;
2. understand how the social ecological framework informs the development of a community coalition;
3. identify a wide range of stakeholders that could be effective to include in an obesity prevention community coalition;
4. communicate the benefits of building a community-based Coalition for Obesity Prevention.

Obesity Interventions Through Adult Life Transitions Scenarios

Learning Objectives

At the end of these sessions, participants will be able to:

Young Adult Scenario

1. generate a client-centered plan that will help frame realistic weight loss and weight loss maintenance trajectory.

Adult Scenario

1. adapt weight management care plans as needed to optimize client/patient outcomes;
2. incorporate use of FDA-approved weight loss medication to match client/patient nutrition diagnosis, co-morbidities and client’s/patient’s interests.

Mid- Adult Scenario

1. describe the underlying pathophysiology that may be impeding a particular clients’ weight management success;
2. recommend evidence-based dietary and eating strategies for weight management;
3. adapt weight management care plans as needed to optimize client/patient outcomes;
4. use critical thinking to problem-solve nutrition-related issues or concerns that arise during bariatric surgery follow-up and long-term maintenance of weight loss.

Older Adult Scenario

1. outline an optimal weight management treatment plan based on current scientific literature, consensus recommendations, and practice guidelines;
2. use critical thinking to problem-solve nutrition-related issues or concerns that arise during bariatric surgery follow-up and long-term maintenance of weight loss;
3. interact with other healthcare providers in ways that support the client/patient;
4. foster communications across the care team, and advocate for the skills and abilities of the RDN. 

Session Title: Program Management and Practice Pearls

Description: This session will describe nontraditional settings for RDNs, emphasizing the necessity to know how the RDN is being paid, and how to show the value of the RDN to payers. This interactive session will highlight the nontraditional work settings for three RDN participants and challenge participants to think about how they are being paid for their nutrition/weight management services, and how to show their value to employers.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. describe nontraditional work settings for RDNs;
2. describe the Intensive Behavioral Therapy (IBT) for obesity benefit for Medicare beneficiaries;
3. discuss methods for determining payment for RDN nutrition/weight management services and how to demonstrate value to payers and/or employers.