Silver Spring, Md., Oct. 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Five winners from across the country will present the latest science in preventing and treating obesity using innovative research designs during the Obesity Journal Symposium, an annual event featured at ObesityWeek℠, a partnership of The Obesity Society (TOS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) to be held Nov. 11-15, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.

The editorial team of Obesity, the flagship scientific journal of TOS, will host the sixth annual Obesity Journal Symposium at ObesityWeek. The journal symposium will be held from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in Room 209 A-C Level 2, at the Music City Center, 201 Fifth Avenue South, in Nashville, Tenn.

During the symposium, an author of each winning paper will give a 10-minute oral presentation followed by a 5-minute discussion. After the event, the winning papers will be featured in a special section of the December 2018 edition of Obesity.

"The symposium is always standing room only,” said Symposium Chair Donna H. Ryan, MD, Associate Editor-in-Chief of Obesity and Professor Emerita at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center of the Louisiana State University System in Baton Rouge. “This year, attendees will see a spectrum of research methods in obesity—basic, clinical and population scientists will all find something of interest."

Authors of this year’s winning papers are:

Erica G. Soltero, PhD: Effects of a Community-Based Diabetes Program for Latino Youth With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Molly B. Richardson, PhD: Effects of Indoor Thermal Environment on Human Food Intake, Productivity and Comfort: Pilot Randomized Crossover Trial

Emma J. Stinson, BS: Food Insecurity is Associated With Maladaptive Eating Behaviors and Objectively Measured Overeating

Andrew A. Butler, PhD: Melanocortin-3 Receptors Expressed on Agouti-Related Peptide Neurons Inhibit Feeding Behavior in Female Mice

Nichole Jannah, MPH (c): Changes in Coverage for Obesity Prevention and Treatment Services: Analysis of Medicaid and State Employee Health Insurance Programs

Media representatives interested in covering the journal symposium onsite need to register for ObesityWeek and report to the Press Room before attending the event. Registration is free. However, media representatives need to obtain a code to register. To obtain the registration code, email TOScommunications@obesity.org.

The winning papers will be embargoed until 3:00 a.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018.

For more information, visit the ObesityWeek website and learn about the Guidelines for Media Representatives.

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The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading organization of scientists and health professionals devoted to understanding and reversing the epidemic of obesity and its adverse health, economic and societal effects.  Combining the perspective of physicians and other clinicians, scientists, policymakers and patients, TOS promotes innovative research, education, and evidence-based clinical care to improve the health and well-being of all people with obesity. For more information, visit www.obesity.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.