08-03-2023_BoardBook

Teresa Fraker, FACHE, RN, CPHQ Executive Director Obesity Medicine Association 7173 S. Havana St #600-130 Centennial, CO 80112

June 21, 2023

Dear Teresa, We are writing to invite your organization to participate as a member of the Steering Committee (SC) for the Standards of Care for Obesity Clinical Practice in Adults. As you may know, guidelines for the identification, evaluation, and treatment of obesity were first published in the US in 1998. Since that time, the field has evolved, and organizations like yours and The Obesity Society (TOS) have published several new guidelines that vary in range and scope. Yet, we know that many frontline clinicians are challenged to consistently put guidelines into practice, and in areas where there is scant evidence, find it difficult to make evidence informed clinical judgements that are free of obesity bias and avoid patient stigma. We believe that a Standards of Care document could address this need, supporting point of care decision making that engages patients with obesity and improves the quality of that care. The goal for developing the Standards of Care for Obesity Clinical Practice in Adults is to provide practical guidance to address common clinical questions in obesity management and identify areas for future clinical research to address evidence gaps. The document will be regularly updated to keep pace with new evidence and would represent a consensus view from professional organizations like yours primarily focused on obesity as well as seeking input from other content experts in areas relevant to obesity medicine. The SC will provide leadership for the development process of the Standards of Care, including identifying clinical questions, defining the approach to evaluating the quality of evidence, constituting writing groups, and approving final publications. We would like to have one member from your organization participate as a member of the SC. The SC will have representation from the leading professional societies that identify obesity as their primary scientific and clinical focus. We anticipate that the initial commitment for your organization’s representative on the SC will be 2-3 years to provide continuity during this startup phase and to allow for a balanced rotation of representatives. The makeup of the inaugural SC is critical to this process as they will establish the initial protocols for the development of the Standards of Care and set the tone for a collaborative process that has the potential to be highly impactful to the field. The SC will be chaired by Dr. Dan Bessesen, recent past president of TOS and overseen by the Obesity Society executive committee. In addition, an External Advisory Board (EAB) made up of representatives from other professional societies and patient-led advocacy groups that have constituencies focused on obesity will serve as a resource for the SC. The EAB will be a source for identifying content experts that can populate writing groups for key questions identified by the SC. The EAB can also be a resource for identifying and prioritizing questions and disseminating the Standards of Care.

The leading society dedicated to the study, prevention and treatment of obesity. 9211 Corporate Boulevard – Suite 300, Rockvillle, MD 20850 ▪ Phone: 301 -563- 6526 ▪ www.obesity.org