March 21-23, 2019 – Representing the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), Assistant Professor Dr. Antoine Aoun, gave a presentation at the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians’ (WONCA) sixth Family Medicine Congress in the East Mediterranean Region titled: “Bridging Gaps and Paving Futures.”
With branches as disparate as Algeria, Lebanon, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and partnerships with universities in Sudan, WONCA serves as a bastion of medical research for the MENA region. This year’s Family Medicine Congress saw a number of presentations from various healthcare fields.
Dr. Aoun’s talk, “What’s up in Obesity Management,” emphasized the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide, and its association with serious chronic medical complications. He discussed the benefits and disadvantages of various dietary plans and modifications, that have been used for weight loss and maintenance including: low-calorie diet (deficit of 500 kcal/day), very low-calorie diets (< 800 kcal/day), low carbohydrate/high protein diets, low fat diets, intermittent fasting, low glycemic index diets and meal replacement diets. In addition to dietary modifications, he pointed out certain behaviors associated with obesity like screen time, sleep patterns, breakfast consumption, meal frequency, and stressful lifestyle. The lecture also addressed alternative options used to treat obesity like physical activity, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, bariatric surgery, and the several factors that have an influence on such treatments. Dr. Aoun concluded by highlighting the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to manage obesity and maintain weight loss.
Speaking on the event, Dr. Aoun said: “Few things compare to being in the same conference room with so many talented physicians and healthcare professionals. That’s how we learn, grow and gain experience”.