In April as New York City hospitals were becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, bariatric surgeon Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD, who serves as a scholar-in-residence at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, decided she couldn’t stay on the sidelines any longer and instead volunteered to go to the frontlines of the pandemic in the United States.

“I live in northern California, which was the first part of the country to shelter…

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The brutal killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless untold others have triggered widespread outrage. These atrocities cast a bright light on the lack of respect and value for Black lives. We at ASMBS are heartbroken that racism remains a pervasive and systemic problem in our country today.

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GAINESVILLE, FL – Nov. 5, 2015 – The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and groups including The Obesity Society (TOS) and Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), filed a complaint this month with U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) claiming the 27 states that deny coverage for bariatric surgery are in non-compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and that their failure to comply is discriminatory against women and people with disabilities,…

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GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Representatives from 35 major health and medical organizations including the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Medical Association (AMA), American Heart Association (AHA), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) convened for a second annual summit in Chicago to identify opportunities for collaboration in treating obesity. "The National Obesity Summit on the Provision of Care for the Obese Patient" was hosted by the…

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GAINESVILLE, FL – Aug. 12, 2015 – Time is running out for members of the public to submit short films or videos about obesity, the nation’s number one public health threat. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is sponsoring “It Starts Now,” a national contest that will award winners up to $5,000 and a trip to Los Angeles, where winning entries will premiere during ObesityWeek 2015.

Entries must be received by…

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FDA Approval of ORBERA™ Intragastric Balloon Offers New Weight Loss Option for Patients with Obesity

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved the ORBERA™ Intragastric Balloon, a new non-surgical intervention for the treatment of obesity. The device, which is approved for use in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 to 40, was shown in a clinical trial to be more effective for weight loss than diet and exercise alone. The…

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AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR METABOLIC AND BARIATRIC SURGERY VIEWS NEW BALLOON DEVICE FOR OBESITY AS BRIDGE BETWEEN MEDICATIONS AND BARIATRIC SURGERY

GAINESVILLE, FL – July 29, 2015 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday approved a new balloon device called the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System, that may help fill a treatment gap between medications and surgery for people with obesity and one or more obesity-related conditions, according to the American Society for…

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Winning Film or Video Awarded $5,000 and National Premiere at ObesityWeek 2015 in Los Angeles

GAINESVILLE, FL – MAY 18, 2015 – It Starts Now, a nationwide competition that seeks short videos and films about obesity in America, begins today. Entries are being sought that creatively inspire, motivate and/or educate the public about issues related to obesity. Submissions will be judged on originality, creativity, direction, production value, dignity, content and thoughtfulness.

A jury-awarded…

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