According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in eight people worldwide now live with obesity; a condition that has recently been classified as a disease rather than just a risk factor, posing a significant threat to quality of life on a global scale.

Recognizing the urgency of addressing this growing epidemic, medical students from the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, in collaboration with NGO AID Lebanon, hosted a hybrid symposium on January 20 at the LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital to address the multifactorial causes of obesity and the various interventions available, from lifestyle modifications to medication therapies and bariatric surgeries.

Titled Beyond the Scale: Navigating the Obesity Challenge, the event featured a distinguished panel of surgeons and internal medicine professionals from the school and national and international institutions, who shared their insights on evolving approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of obesity.

Med II student Khaled Younes, one of the event organizers and a member of the AID Lebanon Student Medical Committee, underscored the significance of participating in a scientific gathering of high-level experts as it enhances a sense of responsibility and provides valuable networking opportunities with leading minds. “It will hopefully grow my medical career,” he added.

In her opening remarks, the Dean of the school of medicine Sola Aoun Bahous commended the students for their dedication and hard work in organizing the event. She then set the stage for a deeper exploration of obesity, its complexity and multidimensional nature.

“Obesity goes beyond numbers and BMI,” said Dr. Bahous. “It intertwines biology, behavior, environment, and society, where tackling it requires moving past single narratives and simplistic solutions to address its layers with empathy, evidence, and ingenuity.”

This interaction of biological, social and environmental factors was at the heart of Nehme Melhem’s experience with obesity and bariatric surgery, which he candidly shared during the symposium as the president and CEO of AID Lebanon. The NGO, he said, “advocates for systematic changes in treatment and preventions emphasizing the necessity of compassionate care.”

Elizabeth Bou Jaoude, head of the Endocrinology Division at Notre Dame du Liban Hospital and assistant professor of clinical medicine at LAU, launched the symposium by discussing the reclassification of obesity as an Adiposity-Based Chronic Disease (ABCD). This shift, she explained, emphasizes the pathophysiological effects of excess weight rather than the weight itself, providing physicians with standardized protocols for weight loss and treatment of obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and strokes.

“Behavior modification is the cornerstone to obesity treatment,” remarked Bou Jaoude, stressing its role as the foundation of the obesity treatment pyramid. This approach encompasses strategies targeting diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. When these prove insufficient, additional interventions such as pharmacotherapy, endoscopic procedures, and bariatric surgery are considered.

Reinforcing the importance of a multifaceted approach, Dr. Joumana Warde Kamar, a specialist in metabolic disorders, obesity, nutrition, bariatric medicine, and eating disorders, described weight control as a journey rather than a destination. “Lifestyle measures, exercise and behavioral modification form the foundation of body weight management,” she noted, “but they are often insufficient on their own. Bariatric surgery remains the most enduring and effective treatment.”

Adding their expertise on surgical options, Clinical Assistant Professor at the school of medicine Rodrigue Chemaly and Dr. Souheil Adra, director of the Bariatric Surgery Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, US, provided a comprehensive overview of bariatric procedures. They examined the various types of surgeries, their efficacy and cost-effectiveness compared to pharmacotherapies such as GLP-1 agonists—the class of medications that help treat obesity and diabetes—like Ozempic and Mounjaro. They also highlighted the potential of bariatric surgery to lower cancer risks in some cases.

Building on this discussion, Dr. Marlene Chakhtoura, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), shifted the focus to an important consideration: the impact of bariatric surgery on bone health. She presented studies that revealed a significant decline in bone density following these procedures, emphasizing the need for careful monitoring and management of such risks.

The event marked another chapter in the ongoing collaboration between AID Lebanon and the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, where students have worked alongside fellow volunteers from medical institutions in Lebanon and around the world over the past few years to raise medical care awareness through expert-led symposiums addressing critical topics such as breast cancer, among others.