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Subcategory: Bariatric(s), Chronic Care, Chronic Disease, General, Health Behavior, Health Equities, Health Promotion, Obesity/Weight Management, Patient-Centered, Primary Care, Professional Practice, Safety, Social Determinants of Health, Starting a Clinical Practice, Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI)
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Obesity Management Foundations
for the Primary Care Clinician
Obesity Care through the Lifespan
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is pleased to offer select continuing education (CE) activities and resources for nurse practitioners (NPs) and other advanced practice providers working in obesity management. The Obesity Management Foundations for the Primary Care Clinician program provides advanced practice clinicians online access to a convenient, comprehensive and foundational obesity management program.
The second part of the program covers different topics in Obesity Care through the Lifespan. Content provided in these sessions builds on the foundational information of the first part of the program and gives greater detail for obesity care to a variety of patient populations. Participants may earn 12 contact hours (CH) of CE credit by completing all eleven activities in this part of the program.
By completing this Obesity Foundations Program, NPs and other clinicians can increase their understanding and foundational education on evidence-based methods for assessing, diagnosing and managing obesity within a clinical environment. The material suits NPs, physicians, physician assistants, trainee clinicians and other health care professionals who treat patients with the disease of obesity.
Obesity Care through the Lifespan
Practice Management
Sandra Christensen, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC, MFOMA, FAANP
Christina Nelson, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC
In this presentation, Sandra Christensen, an obesity medicine specialist with 20 years of experience, and Christina Nelson, a board-certified family nurse practitioner specializing in obesity medicine, discuss strategies for managing obesity as a chronic disease. They emphasize the importance of dedicated obesity-specific appointments, regular follow-ups (averaging 16 visits per year initially), and a chronic disease approach similar to managing diabetes or hypertension. Sam and Christina outline various practice models, including integrating obesity care into existing practices, creating separate programs, or establishing standalone clinics, with options for in-person, telehealth, or hybrid care. They highlight the four pillars of obesity treatment—nutrition, physical activity, behavioral counseling, and medical management—and offer practical guidance on structuring appointments, leveraging support staff or community resources, and optimizing clinical environments to be welcoming and accommodating. Billing and coding complexities are addressed, with updated ICD-10 codes introduced in October 2024 to support accurate, stigma-free documentation, alongside strategies for insurance-based or self-pay models to enhance patient access and outcomes.
Objectives:- Describe different obesity treatment practice models.
- Discuss how to optimize practice environment to meet the needs of patients with obesity.
- Discuss importance of sensitivity training for all members of practice staff interfacing with patients with obesity.
- Understand the concepts of billing and coding for obesity management.
Content Expires: | March 31, 2027 (11:55 p.m. CT) CE for this activity will not be available after this date. |
|  | This activity includes closed captioning. |
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Accreditation Information
This activity is approved for 1.08 contact hours of continuing education by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners®. Activity ID# 25037100. This activity was planned in accordance with AANP Accreditation Standards and Policies.
How to Complete this Activity - Read this activity description, including objectives and disclosures.
- Complete all educational content:
- Video Presentations: Click the Play button to watch the activity video lecture. To get full credit for the learning activity portion, you must watch all of the video content.
- Click on the Additional Resources button to review all additional materials provided (handouts and any other downloadable resources).
- After completing all educational content, go to the Next Steps button:
- Submit the activity evaluation to receive full AANP CE/Rx credit.
- Click on the Get Certificate button. At the top of the certificate screen, use the provided dropdown menu and select Obesity Care through the Lifespan Session Certificate.
- A copy of your certificate of completion will display on the screen for you to print or save. A copy of the certificate will also be emailed to you.
- PROGRAM CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: If you complete all 11 sessions of the "Obesity Care through the Lifespan" series, you will have the option to receive a non-credit-bearing program themed certificate of completion for demonstrating full completion of Obesity Management Foundations for the Primary Care Clinician - Obesity Care through the Lifespan. In order to claim the overall program certificate, you will need to have all 11 participation codes from the completion of each session (these can be found in the dark blue box at the bottom of each session certificate of completion). Go to the following link: [PROGRAM CERTIFICATE ONLY] Obesity Management Foundations for the Primary Care Clinician - Obesity Care through the Lifespan and register this product to your activities list (registration is free). Once this activity is registered to you, locate it on your CE Activities list and click on the blue "Next Steps" button. You will be asked to provide all 11 participation codes. Completion of this requirement will award the final program certificate. A copy will be emailed to you and will also be stored in your AANP CE Tracker.
Disclosure and Disclaimer Information
This program was planned in accordance with AANP CE Standards and Policies.
All Planners have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
Faculty Disclosures:
- Sandra Christensen
- I am a speaker and am on an advisory board for Novo Nordisk for obesity.
- I am a speaker for Eli Lilly for obesity.
- I am on an advisory board for Abbott for nutrition/obesity.
- Christina Nelson
- I have nothing to disclose.
All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.
Disclaimer:
Individuals who have contributed to the CE Center were carefully selected for their knowledge and experience in the subject area under review. This presentation is informational only and may contain opinions of the authors from their personal experience that do not necessarily express the opinions of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings. Clinical practice is a constantly changing process and new information becomes available every day. Neither AANP nor the contributing individuals can warrant that the material will continue to be accurate, nor do they warrant that the material is completely free of errors upon publication. Attendees and participants should appraise the information presented critically and are encouraged to consult appropriate resources for any product or device mentioned in this program.
Additional Information
For questions or more information concerning this online CE opportunity, please visit the AANP Help Center to find answers to frequently asked questions and request assistance.