2020-10-29 OMA Agenda - Board of Trustees

of Surgeons (ACS) and American Society for Metabolic Surgery (ASMBS) Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) maintains a list of accredited bariatric surgery centers (https://www.facs.org/search/bariatric-surgery-centers). 38 In addition, the American Board of Obesity Medicine has a diplomate search tool for Obesity Medicine Certified Providers at https://abom.learningbuilder.com/public/membersearch. 39 The establishment of comprehensive obesity care centers which include medical treatment and bariatric surgery is encouraged to provide the full spectrum of obesity treatment. There are currently close to 900 hospitals accredited for bariatric surgery through the ACS/ASMBS MBSAQIP. 38 In addition, MBSAQIP has added qualifications for hospitals also performing endoscopic and medical weight loss. Increased collaboration and shared information will help in tailoring treatment specific to each patient based on anthropomorphic characteristics and obesity- related diseases, to provide optimal individual outcomes. 4. Obesity must be destigmatized among the public and among healthcare practitioners. Obesity carries a stigma among public perception, the media, and among healthcare practitioners and payers. 25,40-42 Recognition of this stigma and personal biases against obesity is imperative. One type of identified bias is implicit bias, or bias that occurs without conscious knowledge, which contributes to negative attitudes towards obesity. Tests of implicit bias are available to assist in recognizing one’s own implicit biases. 43,44 Among first year medical students, implicit bias towards patients with obesity was present in 74%. 45 Significant efforts have been made to demand the use of “people-first” language surrounding obesity to minimize bias. 41 Adoption of people-first language is of particular importance in the healthcare setting in order to minimize stigmatization of obesity and to recognize that obesity is a

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