Obesity prevalence has tripled over the past four decades. Together with its wide range of comorbidities, it accounts for a large proportion of the worldwide non-communicable disease burden. One of the critical barriers in effectively tackling obesity is the prevailing societal perception of it being a simple energy balance problem, one that this meeting seeks to dismantle. In truth there are a myriad of causes that lead to obesity, and as a result a wide array of consequences that emerge. Moreover time is rapidly changing in the field of obesity with the emergence of new and innovative therapies. While the value of model organisms is recognized in the field, this program was designed to focus on the model that matters most: humans.

The goals of this meeting is to explore the latest in:

(1) causes of obesity, including genetics, environmental impacts, and hypothalamic dysfunction;

(2) how the heterogeneity of obesity impacts upon its precision management;

(3) metabolic consequences of obesity, including Type 2 Diabetes, dyslipidemia, as well as cardiovascular, liver and renal disease

(4) innovation in treatment and new molecular targets.

This conference will be paired with another Keystone Symposia conference entitled Cardiometabolic Diseases: The Role of Ethnic Diversity in Precision Medicine, where shared scientific sessions will explore cross connectivity of genetics and precision obesity management. These joint conferences will also bring together an interdisciplinary group of investigators with different focus areas within the field, ranging from ‘big data’ to detailed mechanistic studies. Participants of both conferences will also have an opportunity to network at shared meals and poster sessions. This unique environment will lead to new scientific collaborations and the implementation of precision medicine approaches directed at better understanding and treating cardiometabolic disease.