October Director Notes

Obesity, what are we missing as clinicians?
By: Terri Schmitt PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Executive Director, NPACE

Obesity, what are we missing as clinicians? Recently, I am pondering the predominance and complexity of obesity treatment. While in a general family practice, so many  patients I encounter are presenting with complications and comorbidities of obesity. Nearly every conference I have attended in the past few years has had some education on obesity management and yet my population of patients battling this condition continues to rise and I often feel I am missing the mark in treatment.

Although commonly understood as a complex condition noted by an excess accumulation of body fat, it is too often only associated with lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. Understanding the pathophysiology of the disease as a chronic, endocrine disorder and changing how we teach and manage the disease long-term is somewhat missing. 

NPACE is very proud to support the health of nurse practitioners, but also our patients, in a new venture, The Friends of NPACE Podcast which can be found at our learning center, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. In a recent episode, generously supported by an educational grant from Lilly, I was fortunate enough to ask experts Dr. Angie Golden and Christine Kessler some of my burning questions on the topic of obesity as a chronic endocrine disorder. The episode is full of important information and worth 0.75 of continuing education credit, but touches on some of the most critical points of tackling obesity management in primary care, so that we can begin to make a difference.

Beyond the fantastic podcast episode, we have invited Dr. Golden and Christine Kessler to join us in Cape Cod in October, 2023 for an innovative 3 hour workshop where audience members are encouraged to engage, bring their own complex obesity practice issues, and ask the experts themselves. There is still space to join us in Cape Cod, but it is limited so book now. Visit us at npace.org to reserve your spot for this and other great workshops, including how to start your own business.

I am convinced that if we work hard to educate better and then take small actions as clinicians based on new knowledge that we can impact our patients lives and health. If you have thoughts on this and other topics, please reach out to us at npace@npace.org or join our conversations on social media on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Terri Schmitt PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP,
Executive Director, NPACE
https://www.npace.org/