COURSE GUIDE - International Association for the Study of Obesity

Delegate BiographiesElena Frolova ✪ Scholarship WinnerElena Frolova is currently working as a professor of Familymedicine Department of St-Petersburg medical academy forpostgraduate study. She has worked as a teacher for residents,retrained physicians and as a physician in this department formore than 10 years and she sees patients with obesity issues.She graduated as a medical doctor in 1974. In 1989 she completedher PhD thesis and in 2003 her doctoral thesis. From 1999 shehas been interested in prevalence, the nature of obesity and itsimpact on cardiovascular diseases in Russia.Her topics of interest in Obesity management are psychology andbehavior changes in obese individuals, genetics of obesity, obesityin the elderly, frailty and sarcopenic obesity.Noemi GilNoemi Gil is a qualified Dietician (Vic University, Spain) and has aTeaching Degree in Physical Education (granted by INEF, Spain).Always interested in the relationship between the emotions andbody weight, she studied a Master in Life Coaching and NLP(neuro-linguistic programming) with intention of helping patients tochange their behavioral patterns in relation to food.Now, she is currently working for PronoKal International. ThePronoKal Method involves dieticians, personal trainer and a lifecoach. Knowing that obesity is a chronic disease, she is particularlyinterested in weight maintenance (i.e How many grams of proteinper kg of body weight is ideal for maintenance?).Lidia GraurLidia Graur is a junior teaching assistant at “Gr. T. Popa” Universityof Medicine and Pharmacy Iaşi, Romania, and medical residentin the fourth year of training on Diabetes, Nutrition and MetabolicDiseases. Lidia has started the research for her PhD thesis inCardiology entitled “Cardiovascular risk factors in the overweightpopulation” and completed a master in Communication andNegociation. Lidia’s interest in obesity management is targetedon the development of a new approach of obesity, a holistic one,involving especially patient education, medical nutrition therapyusing communication skills and motivational interviewing.Nancy HobeikaNancy Hobeika is a Licensed Nutritionist and Clinical Dietitianwho maintains a private practice in Beirut, Lebanon. She earnedtwo Bachelor of Science Degrees, the first one in Biology andPhysiology from the Lebanese University and the second oneIn Nutrition and Dietetics from the American University of Beirut.She also holds a Master’s Degree in Biology and Physiology fromthe Lebanese University. In 2008, she wrote and published herfirst Diet Cookbook entitled “Mawsouaat Al Tabekh El Sohi” whichwas a success and sold more than 4000 copies. Currently, she’spreparing for the second edited edition.In 2009, she founded “Centimeal Organic Diet and Nutrition Center”,where she provides healthy low fat meals to her clients based ontheir nutritional and health assessment. Miss Hobeika specializesin weight management, medical nutrition therapy, prevention andtreatment of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes,vegetarianism, food allergies, menu planning, restaurant eatingand healthy cooking. Her dedication and expertise exceededthe Lebanese borders, she has also been appointed as a SeniorConsultant for different Diet Centers in the Gulf Area. She is hostedby different TV Channels on regular basis and counseled and cateredfor a Real Tv Program. She also presents her own weekly program“Sohi Maa Nancy” on “Lebanon Radio Station”. She collaborateswith many publications and writes her own articles in the monthly“Mom’s &To Be” magazine. She’s also a professional lecturer onvarious nutritional issues in conferences and universities.Maria HorianopoulouMaria Horianopoulou studied chemistry at the University ofAthens from 1983 to 1998 followed by a medical degree from1989 to 1995. She completed her PhD in 2008. Her specialty isinternal medicine and currently works at the Laiko Hospital of theAthens University.Deborah HornDeborah Horn is a Physician, Exercise Physiologist, and PublicHealth Advocate. Board Certified in Family Medicine, PreventiveMedicine, and Obesity Medicine. Executive Committee memberfor the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Most recently,Assistant Professor at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, DukeUniversity. Dr. Horn’s enjoys both clinical work and translationalresearch. Physical Activity and its relationship to obesity and otherchronic diseases is a special area of focus. Current researchprojects include 1) The effects of Indirect Calorimetry and BodyComposition measurement on weight and weight related comorbidities,and 2) Physical Activity and Bariatric Surgery:Optimizing Post-Surgical Care.Jörg HuberJörg Huber is currently working as a Principal Lecturer in HealthPsychology, Department of Life Sciences, Roehampton UniversityAs per his background, he is a psychologist with interests inexperimental and health psychology. Much of his work appliespsychology to medical and health issues. Recent research onmental health and resilience has a focus on the mechanismsby which resilience helps to maintain wellbeing both in healthyindividuals and diabetes patients. The close link between diabetesand weight problems leads naturally to an extension of this workto overweight and obese individuals. Links to a centre focusingon metabolic surgery have created opportunities to study patientsundergoing gastric banding and bypass operations. I am alsoactively involved with patient support groups and public healthissues, and manage an MSc on Obesity Risks and Prevention.His main reason for attending this course is to obtain a bettergrounding in the non-psychological issues around obesity. Thisincludes the physiological and neurobiological aspects of obesityand weight management. His other main interests are the practicalissues around the obesity and weight management programmesas part of health services.32