Scientific Program

Organizer : Ki Woo Kim (Yonsei University, College of Dentistry, Korea)

• In this session, Dr. Elmquist, Dean of Research at UT-Southwestern Medical Center and Director of the Center for Hypothalamic Research, will introduce a new platform for identifying key factors in obesity and metabolic regulation through the hypothalamus. He will explain the identified factors and present the latest research on how these factors influence whole-body homeostasis. This presentation will provide crucial insights into the mechanisms of hypothalamic function and the regulation of obesity and metabolic disorders, greatly benefiting conference attendees.
• • References
  1. Coordination of metabolism, arousal, and reward by orexin/hypocretin neurons
  2. Leptin and brain-adipose crosstalks

Organizer : Jang Won Son (The Catholic University of Korea, Korea), Kyung Ae Lee (Jeonbuk National University, Korea)

• This insightful symposium will feature groundbreaking research on the intricate interactions between the gut microbiota, peripheral organs, and the central nervous system in the context of obesity and metabolic regulation. Prof. Chih-Yen Chen from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, will discuss on gut hormone, brain, and obesity, Prof. Teppei Fujikawa from UT Southwestern Medical Center in the USA, will present his research on decoding VMH regulation of food intake in adults, and last but not least, Prof. Ki Woo Kim from Yonsei University in Korea, will explore how a microbiota-derived short chain fatty acid targets the hypothalamus and regulates energy balance.

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Matthias Blüher is Head of the Obesity Outpatient Clinic for Adults at the University of Leipzig Department of Medicine in Leipzig, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, with board certifications in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology. From 2006 to 2012, Professor Blüher served as Head of the Clinical Research Group ‘Atherobesity,’ and since 2013, he has been Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center on obesity mechanisms.
• Professor Blüher has won several awards, including the Obesity Research Award of the German Society for the Study of Obesity, the Ferdinand-Bertram-Prize of the German Diabetes Association, and the Rising Star Lecture at the 44th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting. More recently, he received the Hans Christian Hagedorn Award from the German Diabetes Association in 2011 and the Minkowski Award from the EASD in 2015.
• • References
  1. Blüher M, Aras M, Aronne LJ, Batterham RL, Giorgino F, Ji L, Pietiläinen KH, Schnell O, Tonchevska E, Wilding JPH. New insights into the treatment of obesity. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Apr 13. doi: 10.1111/dom.15077.
  2. Blüher M. Metabolically Healthy Obesity. Endocr Rev. 2020 May 1;41(3):bnaa004.

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Matthias Blüher is Head of the Obesity Outpatient Clinic for Adults at the University of Leipzig Department of Medicine in Leipzig, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, with board certifications in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology. From 2006 to 2012, Professor Blüher served as Head of the Clinical Research Group ‘Atherobesity,’ and since 2013, he has been Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center on obesity mechanisms.
• Professor Blüher has won several awards, including the Obesity Research Award of the German Society for the Study of Obesity, the Ferdinand-Bertram-Prize of the German Diabetes Association, and the Rising Star Lecture at the 44th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting. More recently, he received the Hans Christian Hagedorn Award from the German Diabetes Association in 2011 and the Minkowski Award from the EASD in 2015.
• • References
  1. Blüher M, Aras M, Aronne LJ, Batterham RL, Giorgino F, Ji L, Pietiläinen KH, Schnell O, Tonchevska E, Wilding JPH. New insights into the treatment of obesity. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Apr 13. doi: 10.1111/dom.15077.
  2. Blüher M. Metabolically Healthy Obesity. Endocr Rev. 2020 May 1;41(3):bnaa004.

Organizer : Sewon Lee (Incheon National University, Korea), Minchul Lee (CHA University, Korea)

• Symposium 6 aims to comprehensively explore the roles of exercise-induced mitochondrial controls in skeletal muscle, novel strategies in managing NAFLD focusing on muscle metabolism and exercise, and the impact of exercise intervention on sarcopenia and menopause in women. By taking a holistic approach, this symposium delves into various aspects of obesity management, examining the interplay between exercise, metabolism, and muscle health.

Organizer : Yong Hee Hong (Soonchunhyang University, Korea)

• Prof. Silva Arslanian is one of the global leaders in research on pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes. She is a pediatric endocrinologist and a scientific director of the Center for Pediatric Research in Obesity and Metabolism at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards, the latest being the 2023 American Diabetes Association Outstanding Achievement Award. In this keynote lecture, she will introduce new pharmacotherapeutic modalities for youth-onset type 2 diabetes, which has recently been on the rise globally as well as in Korea.

Organizer: Hyung Jin Choi (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• In this session, we will delve into the intricate interplay between neuropsychology and obesity. Dr. Yun Ha Jeong from the Korea Brain Research Institute will discuss the impact of obesity and HDL concentration on the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Through an analysis of AD pathological changes in 5XFAD mice after obesity induction through a high-fat diet, Dr. Jeong presents a noteworthy phenomenon where the increase in HDL and APOA-I serum levels mitigates AD features, offering a potential avenue for novel therapeutic strategies.
• Subsequently, Professor Kwang Wei Tham from Singapore Woodlands Health will elucidate how weight-related biases affect the physical, mental health, and obesity management of individuals. Lastly, Professor Youn Huh from Eulji University will explore the link between type 2 diabetes and dementia, emphasizing the growing relevance of preventing and managing these conditions, and discussing how type 2 diabetes escalates dementia risks, urging the derivation of preventive strategies based on research findings in light of the increasing prevalence of both diseases.

Organizer : Jang Won Son (The Catholic University of Korea, Republic of Korea)

• Professor Thiruma V. Arumugam, a distinguished researcher in the fields of physiology and pharmacology at La Trobe University, Australia, is pushing the boundaries of neuroscience and metabolism. In his upcoming lecture, he will discuss how his work on intermittent metabolic switching has enhanced our comprehension of its effect on brain health, paving the way for potential therapeutic interventions.
• His recent publication in Theranostics, titled "Time-restricted feeding modulates the DNA methylation landscape, attenuates hallmark neuropathology and cognitive impairment in a mouse model of vascular dementia," has presented novel insights into the therapeutic potential of intermittent metabolic switching, offering promising strategies for managing and potentially reversing cognitive impairment in dementia.
• Further expanding our understanding, Professor Arumugam's article in Cell Metabolism, "Hallmarks of Brain Aging: Adaptive and Pathological Modification by Metabolic States," continues to revolutionize our perspective on the role of metabolism in brain aging.

Organizer : Ki Woo Kim (Yonsei University, College of Dentistry, Korea)

• In this session, Dr. Elmquist, Dean of Research at UT-Southwestern Medical Center and Director of the Center for Hypothalamic Research, will introduce a new platform for identifying key factors in obesity and metabolic regulation through the hypothalamus. He will explain the identified factors and present the latest research on how these factors influence whole-body homeostasis. This presentation will provide crucial insights into the mechanisms of hypothalamic function and the regulation of obesity and metabolic disorders, greatly benefiting conference attendees.
• • References
  1. Coordination of metabolism, arousal, and reward by orexin/hypocretin neurons
  2. Leptin and brain-adipose crosstalks

Organizer : Sang Youl Rhee (Kyung Hee University, Korea)

• This session will explore how digital therapeutics can contribute to treating and managing metabolic diseases. Prof. Sang Youl Rhee from Kyung Hee University will discuss the possibilities of digital therapeutics, Prof. Hyung Jin Choi from Seoul National University will delve into the psychological basis of their effectiveness, and Dr. Min Kyu Han from Kakao Healthcare will suggest ways to integrate digital therapeutics into conventional medical settings.

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Matthias Blüher is Head of the Obesity Outpatient Clinic for Adults at the University of Leipzig Department of Medicine in Leipzig, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, with board certifications in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology. From 2006 to 2012, Professor Blüher served as Head of the Clinical Research Group ‘Atherobesity,’ and since 2013, he has been Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center on obesity mechanisms.
• Professor Blüher has won several awards, including the Obesity Research Award of the German Society for the Study of Obesity, the Ferdinand-Bertram-Prize of the German Diabetes Association, and the Rising Star Lecture at the 44th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting. More recently, he received the Hans Christian Hagedorn Award from the German Diabetes Association in 2011 and the Minkowski Award from the EASD in 2015.
• • References
  1. Blüher M, Aras M, Aronne LJ, Batterham RL, Giorgino F, Ji L, Pietiläinen KH, Schnell O, Tonchevska E, Wilding JPH. New insights into the treatment of obesity. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Apr 13. doi: 10.1111/dom.15077.
  2. Blüher M. Metabolically Healthy Obesity. Endocr Rev. 2020 May 1;41(3):bnaa004.

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Matthias Blüher is Head of the Obesity Outpatient Clinic for Adults at the University of Leipzig Department of Medicine in Leipzig, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, with board certifications in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology. From 2006 to 2012, Professor Blüher served as Head of the Clinical Research Group ‘Atherobesity,’ and since 2013, he has been Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center on obesity mechanisms.
• Professor Blüher has won several awards, including the Obesity Research Award of the German Society for the Study of Obesity, the Ferdinand-Bertram-Prize of the German Diabetes Association, and the Rising Star Lecture at the 44th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting. More recently, he received the Hans Christian Hagedorn Award from the German Diabetes Association in 2011 and the Minkowski Award from the EASD in 2015.
• • References
  1. Blüher M, Aras M, Aronne LJ, Batterham RL, Giorgino F, Ji L, Pietiläinen KH, Schnell O, Tonchevska E, Wilding JPH. New insights into the treatment of obesity. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Apr 13. doi: 10.1111/dom.15077.
  2. Blüher M. Metabolically Healthy Obesity. Endocr Rev. 2020 May 1;41(3):bnaa004.

Organizer : Yun-Hee Lee (Seoul National University, College of Pharmacy)

• This session brings together leading scientists to explore the complex interplay between adipose tissue biology, lipid metabolism, and metabolic diseases, offering insights into potential therapeutic strategies for obesity-related conditions. The first talk introduces the "Role of Lipid Droplets in Health and Cardiometabolic Disease”. The second presentation lipomatosis and its implications for aging and vascular health. Lastly, we will explore "The Functional Relevance of a Microbiome-Derived SCFA in Reprogramming Hepatic Lipid Metabolism”

Organizer : Yong Hee Hong (Soonchunhyang University, Korea)

• Prof. Silva Arslanian is one of the global leaders in research on pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes. She is a pediatric endocrinologist and a scientific director of the Center for Pediatric Research in Obesity and Metabolism at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards, the latest being the 2023 American Diabetes Association Outstanding Achievement Award. In this keynote lecture, she will introduce new pharmacotherapeutic modalities for youth-onset type 2 diabetes, which has recently been on the rise globally as well as in Korea.

Organizer : Jeong Hyun Lim (Seoul National University, Korea), SuJin Song (Hannam University, Korea), Oh Yoen Kim (Dong-A University, Korea), Hyunjung Lim (Kyung Hee University, Korea)

• In this session, we will discuss the effective application of digital health care and telenutrition for the prevention and management of obesity. The first speaker, Prof. Wen Peng of Qinghai University, will review relevant studies conducted in Asia, and the second speaker, Prof. Melissa Ventura Marra of West Virginia University, will introduce the effects of telenutrition based on the results of clinical studies in the United States. The last speaker, Dr. Shin Ok Park of Noom Korea, will give a lecture on the pros and cons of applying telenutrition in weight management and future prospects.
• • References
  1. Liang F, Yang X, Peng W, Zhen S, Cao W, Li Q, Xiao Z, Gong M, Wang Y, Gu D. Applications of digital health approaches for cardiometabolic diseases prevention and management in the Western Pacific region. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2023;43:100817
  2. Ventura Marra M, Lilly CL, Nelson KR, Woofter DR, Malone J. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Telenutrition Weight Loss Intervention in Middle-Aged and Older Men with Multiple Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients. 2019;11(2):229

Organizer : Jang Won Son (The Catholic University of Korea, Republic of Korea)

• Professor Thiruma V. Arumugam, a distinguished researcher in the fields of physiology and pharmacology at La Trobe University, Australia, is pushing the boundaries of neuroscience and metabolism. In his upcoming lecture, he will discuss how his work on intermittent metabolic switching has enhanced our comprehension of its effect on brain health, paving the way for potential therapeutic interventions.
• His recent publication in Theranostics, titled "Time-restricted feeding modulates the DNA methylation landscape, attenuates hallmark neuropathology and cognitive impairment in a mouse model of vascular dementia," has presented novel insights into the therapeutic potential of intermittent metabolic switching, offering promising strategies for managing and potentially reversing cognitive impairment in dementia.
• Further expanding our understanding, Professor Arumugam's article in Cell Metabolism, "Hallmarks of Brain Aging: Adaptive and Pathological Modification by Metabolic States," continues to revolutionize our perspective on the role of metabolism in brain aging.

Organizer : Chang Hee Jung (University of Ulsan, Republic of Korea)

• Numerous studies have been conducted on the association between the decline in muscle mass, known as sarcopenia, and cardio-metabolic diseases. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the quality of muscles, as research findings suggest that muscle quality is important in various aspects, in addition to muscle mass reduction.
• Myosteatosis, an important factor determining muscle quality, has emerged as a risk factor for new cardio-metabolic diseases beyond sarcopenia. In this session, we aim to explore the prevalence of myosteatosis and its relationship with cardio-metabolic diseases. Furthermore, we aim to investigate its significance by comparing it with the accumulation of other ectopic fats.
• • References
  1. Age-related changes in muscle quality and development of diagnostic cutoff points for myosteatosis in lumbar skeletal muscles
  measured by CT scan Clin Nutr. 2021 Jun;40(6):4022-4028.
  2. Association between sarcopenic obesity and poor muscle quality based on muscle quality map and abdominal computed tomography. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Jun;31(6):1547-1557.
  Fat Distribution Patterns and Future Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes. 2022 Sep 1;71(9):1937-1945

Organizer: Jaehyun Kim (Seoul National University, Korea), Yong Hee Hong (Soonchunhyang University, Korea)

• Pediatric obesity is a chronic disease that requires long-term management throughout life and must be managed according to the special characteristics of children and adolescents. First, we would like to find out how the prevention and management of obesity in children and adolescents is performing in Korea and how it should be managed. Next, we will figure out nutritional intervention strategies for obesity in children and adolescents and the role of nutritionists, and finally, we will look at adolescent obesity, which is difficult to manage and requires a complex approach from multiple aspects.
• • References
  1. Bensignor MO, Arslanian S, Vajravelu ME. Semaglutide for management of obesity in adolescents: efficacy, safety, and considerations for clinical practice. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2024 May 16. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0000000000001365.
  2. Hannon TS, Arslanian SA. Obesity in Adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jul 20;389(3):251-261

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Obesity is not only a serious disease in itself, but also a health risk factor that causes various diseases, so governmental plan and policy cooperation are needed. Korean government established and announced the first national obesity management comprehensive plan in 2018 to provide an opportunity to raise public awareness of the importance of obesity prevention and management and to monitor the pregress. In this lecture, I would like to introduce the past, present and future of Korea's national obesity strategy.

Organizer: Il-Young Kim (Gachon University, Korea), Seung-Hwan Lee (The Catholic University of Korea, Korea)

• Sarcopenia is the age-associated loss of muscle mass and strength and is characterized by anabolic resistance, i.e., blunted anabolic response (muscle protein synthesis) to exercise or nutrition, which (in)directly affects other clinical conditions. To discover effective therapeutics, it is of important 1) to understand dysregulated dynamics of aging muscle proteome and 2) to acutely assess muscle mass to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic candidates, both of which were largely underappreciated over the past decades. In this symposium, these issues will be discussed by two world’s foremost authorities, Prof. Evans (for direct muscle mass) and Prof. Hellerstein (for dynamics of muscle proteome), respectively. Lastly, Prof. Kim will discuss anabolic resistance to exercise in aging muscle and the potential therapeutic effect of balanced essential amino acids.
• • References
  1. Evans WJ, Simplified definition of sarcopenia: muscle mass/body weight, The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging 2024
  2. Shankaran M et al., Circulating protein synthesis rates reveal skeletal muscle proteome dynamics, J Clin Invest 2016
  3. Jang et al., Free essential amino acid feeding improves endurance during resistance training via DRP1-dependent mitochondrial remodelling. JCSM 2024

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea), Jun Hwa Hong (Eulji University, Republic of Korea)

• The interplay between adipose tissue's function as an energy reservoir and an endocrine organ is crucial for maintaining metabolic health. A key player in this dynamic balance is leptin, a hormone whose regulation is tightly linked to fat mass. Here we will discuss the multifaceted role of LATS1/2-YAP/TAZ signaling in regulating adipocyte plasticity and leptin production to maintain metabolic homeostasis.
• • References
  1. Sethi, J.K. and A.J. Vidal-Puig, Thematic review series: adipocyte biology. Adipose tissue function and plasticity orchestrate nutritional adaptation. J Lipid Res, 2007. 48(6): p. 1253-62.
  2. Halder, G. and R.L. Johnson, Hippo signaling: growth control and beyond. Development, 2011. 138(1): p. 9-22.

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Matthias Blüher is Head of the Obesity Outpatient Clinic for Adults at the University of Leipzig Department of Medicine in Leipzig, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, with board certifications in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology. From 2006 to 2012, Professor Blüher served as Head of the Clinical Research Group ‘Atherobesity,’ and since 2013, he has been Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center on obesity mechanisms.
• Professor Blüher has won several awards, including the Obesity Research Award of the German Society for the Study of Obesity, the Ferdinand-Bertram-Prize of the German Diabetes Association, and the Rising Star Lecture at the 44th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting. More recently, he received the Hans Christian Hagedorn Award from the German Diabetes Association in 2011 and the Minkowski Award from the EASD in 2015.
• • References
  1. Blüher M, Aras M, Aronne LJ, Batterham RL, Giorgino F, Ji L, Pietiläinen KH, Schnell O, Tonchevska E, Wilding JPH. New insights into the treatment of obesity. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Apr 13. doi: 10.1111/dom.15077.
  2. Blüher M. Metabolically Healthy Obesity. Endocr Rev. 2020 May 1;41(3):bnaa004.

Organizer: Il-Young Kim (Gachon University School of Medicine, Korea)

• Prof. William Evans is widely respected as the world’s foremost authority in human muscle aging research. He was the first to describe the condition called sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Muscle plays a central role in physiological metabolism beyond its role in physical function and various clinical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity. Particularly in the context of weight management, muscle plays a key role in energy metabolism as loss of muscle mass with advancing age results in a substantial decrease in basal metabolic rate. In this keynote lecture, Prof. Evans will discuss the importance of muscle mass and metabolism on energy metabolism and functional capacity. Furthermore, Prof. Evans will introduce new methods for the evaluation of muscle mass that now enable demonstration of the importance of muscle mass and its association with poor functional status, risk of disability, hip fracture, and mortality.
• • References
  1. Evans WJ, Cawthon PM. D(3)Creatine Dilution as a Direct, Non-invasive and Accurate Measurement of Muscle Mass for Aging Research. Calcif Tissue Int. 2023
  2. Cawthon PM, Blackwell T, Cummings SR, et al. Muscle mass assessed by D3-Creatine dilution method and incident self-reported disability and mortality in a prospective observational study of community dwelling ol0der men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020
  3. Orwoll ES, Peters KE, Hellerstein M, Cummings SR, Evans WJ, Cawthon PM. The Importance of Muscle Versus Fat Mass in Sarcopenic Obesity: A Re-evaluation Using D3-Creatine Muscle Mass Versus DXA Lean Mass Measurements. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Obesity is not only a serious disease in itself, but also a health risk factor that causes various diseases, so governmental plan and policy cooperation are needed. Korean government established and announced the first national obesity management comprehensive plan in 2018 to provide an opportunity to raise public awareness of the importance of obesity prevention and management and to monitor the pregress. In this lecture, I would like to introduce the past, present and future of Korea's national obesity strategy.

Organizer : Hyung Jin Choi (Seoul National University, Korea)

• The brainstem and hypothalamus intricately orchestrate physiological processes, including appetite regulation and body weight maintenance, by modulating the hunger and satiety. Prof. Jo-Eun Son will elucidate the hypothalamus's mechanism in the genetic determinants of human obesity, Prof. Chen Ran will reveal on the neural encoding of internal senses within the brainstem, and Prof. Zhan Cheng will discuss the function of brainstem catecholaminergic neurons in the regulation of energy homeostasis.
• • References
  1. 2021 Nature Metabolism. Irx3 and Irx5 in Ins2-Cre+ cells regulate hypothalamic postnatal neurogenesis and leptin response
  2021 Science Advances. Ectopic expression of Irx3 and Irx5 in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus contributes to defects in Sim1 haploinsufficiency
  2. 2022 Nature. A brainstem map for visceral sensations
  3. 2024 Nature Neuroscience. Fasting-activated ventrolateral medulla neurons regulate T cell homing and suppress autoimmune disease in mice
  2023 Cell Reports. AgRP neurons are not indispensable for body weight maintenance in adult mice

Organizer: Jae Geun Kim (Incheon National University, Republic of Korea)

• Professor Tamas Horvath is Chair of the Department of Comparative Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in the United States and one of the leading researchers in the field of study on the hypothalamic control of energy homeostasis. In particular, his research on the regulation of synaptic plasticity by AgRP neurons in hypothalamic neuronal circuitries is one of his most noteworthy accomplishments. In this session, Professor Horvath will introduce the role of hypothalamic AgRP neurons that can be applied to obesity treatment.
• • References
  1. Hunger-promoting AgRP neurons trigger an astrocyte-mediated feed-forward autoactivation loop in mice. J Clin Invest. 2021
  2. AgRP neurons control compulsive exercise and survival in an activity-based anorexia model. Nature Metabolism. 2020.

Organizer: Hyunjung Lim (Kyung Hee University), Sujin Song (Hannam University), Oh Yoen Kim (Dong-A University)

• Obesity is no longer an individual or family problem but is recognized as a disease that society must solve together. It is also pointed out as a cause of socially enormous economic loss and class polarization. This session introduces community-based nutrition interventions and approaches for obesity management in vulnerable groups. The first speaker Dr. Shirley Y. Chao from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in the USA will lecture on ‘Integrating Frailty and Malnutrition Screening into Community Care for Older Adults and Their Caregivers.' The second speaker Professor Seung Eun Jung from the University of Alabama in the USA will introduce 'Community-based Strategies to Decrease Health Disparities and Improve Nutritional Status for US Low-income Population.' Lastly, Professor Minsun Jeon of Chungnam National University in the Republic of Korea lectures on 'Nutrition Management Strategies for the Elderly and the Disabled in Social Welfare Facilities' and discusses obesity management in vulnerable groups in this session.
• • References
  1. Chao S, Corish CA, Keller H, Rasmussen H, Arensberg MB, Dwyer JT.
  Are you prepared for the decade of healthy aging 2020-2030? A panel summary from the academy of nutrition and dietetics 2020 food & nutrition conference & expo virtual event, Nutrition Today 56(4):183-192, 2021.
  2. Jung SE, Shin YH, Kim H, Hermann J, Bice C. Identifying Underlying Beliefs About Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Older Adults: An Elicitation Study Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, J Nutr Educ Behav. 49(9):717-723, 2017
  3. Han S, Jeon M Development and Application of Nutrition Education Program for the Elderly in Low Income Korean Journal of Human Ecology. 28(2):171-183, 2019.

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea), Jun Hwa Hong (Eulji University, Republic of Korea)

• The interplay between adipose tissue's function as an energy reservoir and an endocrine organ is crucial for maintaining metabolic health. A key player in this dynamic balance is leptin, a hormone whose regulation is tightly linked to fat mass. Here we will discuss the multifaceted role of LATS1/2-YAP/TAZ signaling in regulating adipocyte plasticity and leptin production to maintain metabolic homeostasis.
• • References
  1. Sethi, J.K. and A.J. Vidal-Puig, Thematic review series: adipocyte biology. Adipose tissue function and plasticity orchestrate nutritional adaptation. J Lipid Res, 2007. 48(6): p. 1253-62.
  2. Halder, G. and R.L. Johnson, Hippo signaling: growth control and beyond. Development, 2011. 138(1): p. 9-22.

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Matthias Blüher is Head of the Obesity Outpatient Clinic for Adults at the University of Leipzig Department of Medicine in Leipzig, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, with board certifications in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology. From 2006 to 2012, Professor Blüher served as Head of the Clinical Research Group ‘Atherobesity,’ and since 2013, he has been Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center on obesity mechanisms.
• Professor Blüher has won several awards, including the Obesity Research Award of the German Society for the Study of Obesity, the Ferdinand-Bertram-Prize of the German Diabetes Association, and the Rising Star Lecture at the 44th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting. More recently, he received the Hans Christian Hagedorn Award from the German Diabetes Association in 2011 and the Minkowski Award from the EASD in 2015.
• • References
  1. Blüher M, Aras M, Aronne LJ, Batterham RL, Giorgino F, Ji L, Pietiläinen KH, Schnell O, Tonchevska E, Wilding JPH. New insights into the treatment of obesity. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Apr 13. doi: 10.1111/dom.15077.
  2. Blüher M. Metabolically Healthy Obesity. Endocr Rev. 2020 May 1;41(3):bnaa004.

Organizer: Il-Young Kim (Gachon University School of Medicine, Korea)

• Prof. William Evans is widely respected as the world’s foremost authority in human muscle aging research. He was the first to describe the condition called sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Muscle plays a central role in physiological metabolism beyond its role in physical function and various clinical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity. Particularly in the context of weight management, muscle plays a key role in energy metabolism as loss of muscle mass with advancing age results in a substantial decrease in basal metabolic rate. In this keynote lecture, Prof. Evans will discuss the importance of muscle mass and metabolism on energy metabolism and functional capacity. Furthermore, Prof. Evans will introduce new methods for the evaluation of muscle mass that now enable demonstration of the importance of muscle mass and its association with poor functional status, risk of disability, hip fracture, and mortality.
• • References
  1. Evans WJ, Cawthon PM. D(3)Creatine Dilution as a Direct, Non-invasive and Accurate Measurement of Muscle Mass for Aging Research. Calcif Tissue Int. 2023
  2. Cawthon PM, Blackwell T, Cummings SR, et al. Muscle mass assessed by D3-Creatine dilution method and incident self-reported disability and mortality in a prospective observational study of community dwelling ol0der men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020
  3. Orwoll ES, Peters KE, Hellerstein M, Cummings SR, Evans WJ, Cawthon PM. The Importance of Muscle Versus Fat Mass in Sarcopenic Obesity: A Re-evaluation Using D3-Creatine Muscle Mass Versus DXA Lean Mass Measurements. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020

Organizer: Soo Lim (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

• Obesity is not only a serious disease in itself, but also a health risk factor that causes various diseases, so governmental plan and policy cooperation are needed. Korean government established and announced the first national obesity management comprehensive plan in 2018 to provide an opportunity to raise public awareness of the importance of obesity prevention and management and to monitor the pregress. In this lecture, I would like to introduce the past, present and future of Korea's national obesity strategy.

Organizer : Jaehyun Kim (Seoul National University, Korea), Yong Hee Hong (Soonchunhyang University, Korea)

• In childhood and adolescent obesity, individual and family factors, lifestyle habits, as well as the given environment and school play an important role. This session will examine the status, necessity, and effectiveness of physical activity in schools, and explore strategies for managing obesity in children and adolescents in terms of social work, such as vulnerable groups and health inequalities. Lastly, in a situation where exposure to various social media is rapidly increasing in Korea, we will examine obesity management and education using social media that was studied among American college students, and examine its effectiveness and applicability. It is hoped that this session will provide an expanded perspective and insight into childhood and adolescent obesity.
• • References
  1. Exploring Service Use Disparities among Suicidal Black Youth in a Suicide Prevention Care Coordination Intervention. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023;10(5):2231-2243
  2. Examining the effectiveness of a family-focused training to prevent youth suicide. Family Relations, 2023;72(1), 325–346
  3. Examining College Students’ Willingness to Consume Local Foods Utilizing the Health Belief Model with the Addition of Social Influence and Self-identity. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. 2023;18(5): 736-752
  4. A Multi Theory-Based Investigation of College Students' Underlying Beliefs About Local Food Consumption. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2020 Oct;52(10):907-917