Summary:

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity is associated with coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, and other chronic diseases. Vegetarian diets are associated with reduced body weight, lower incidence of certain chronic diseases and lower medical costs, compared with non-vegetarian diets. This CME activity will review the literature to ascertain the extent to which and by what mechanism(s) a plant-based diet may mediate body weight.

The estimated time a learner will need to complete this self-study is 30 minutes.

Planner/Presenter:

Susan E. Berkow, Ph.D, C.N.S.
President, SEB Associates
Adjunct Professor, Department Global and Community Health, George Mason University

Neal Barnard, M.D.
President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Adjunct Associate Professor, The George Washington University

Hope Ferdowsian, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, Washington Center for Clinical Research
Voluntary Clinical Instructor, The George Washington University
Staff Physician, Unity Health Care

The Learning Process:

Participants are expected to read the module, reflect on its content, and complete the CME self-assessment and CME evaluation. Only upon completing this process will a participant's continuing education certificate be generated. The estimated time a learner will need to complete this self-study activity is 1 hour.

Objectives:

1. Define overweight and obesity.
2. Describe the range of vegetarian diets.
3. Summarize the key findings of observational studies and randomized controlled trials in which body weight of vegetarians was compared with that of non-vegetarians.
4. Identify the mechanism(s) by which a plant-based diet may mediate body weight.

Disclosure Information:

The George Washington University Medical Center has implemented a process where everyone who is in a position to control the content of an education activity has disclosed all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. Potential conflicts of interest were resolved and documented by one or more of the following methods:

1. Altering the individual's financial relationships,
2. Altering the individual's control over content or
3. Conducting an independent validation of the individual's presentation content.

Individuals who refuse to or otherwise fail to disclose potential conflicts of interest to The George Washington University Medical Center are disqualified from participation in planning or implementing CME activities.

The planners/presenters of this module have no conflicts of interest to disclose.