News Release

National nutrition expert to address need to manage chronic disease during virtual meeting

Dr. James Hill from the University of Alabama to present Keynote Address focused on importance of wellness, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic

Meeting Announcement

The Menopause Society

CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 28, 2020)--Americans are failing in their efforts to effectively manage chronic diseases. Such failure has been spotlighted during the current COVID-19 pandemic, which makes people more vulnerable to complications from underlying conditions. In his Keynote Address during the upcoming 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), James Hill, PhD, from the University of Alabama, will focus on the benefits of wellness and strategies for achieving it.

According to Dr. Hill, efforts focused on modifying single behaviors, such as diet or exercise, have not had significant success. This is illustrated by the rising rates of obesity, markers for lifestyle-related chronic diseases despite massive efforts directed toward weight management. In his Keynote Address at the 2020 NAMS Virtual Annual Meeting, scheduled to kick off on Monday, September 28, Dr. Hill will discuss the concept of wellness, which involves physical and mental health and may represent a better way to create a holistic approach to achieving a lifestyle that maximizes health and happiness.

"Wellness is still a rather vague concept with no clear definition and no definitive method of measurement," says Dr. Hill, who serves as Chairman of the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "My presentation will consider the advantages and disadvantages of a focus on wellness, as well as issues of definition, measurement, and method of change."

At a time when our country is especially focused on disease management and prevention in light of the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Hill proposes that it might be easier to create a culture of health in our population by focusing on wellness rather than disease prevention.

"Because NAMS is focused on providing scientific-based data that supports overall health and well-being for midlife women, this presentation will offer valuable insights that healthcare providers can incorporate into discussions with their perimenopausal and postmenopausal patients," says Dr. Nanette Santoro, Chair of the 2020 NAMS Scientific Program Committee.

Drs. Hill and Santoro are available for interviews before the presentation during the Virtual Annual Meeting. For more information on menopause and healthy aging, visit menopause.org.

Founded in 1989, The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is North America's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and quality of life of all women during midlife and beyond through an understanding of menopause and healthy aging. Its multidisciplinary membership of 2,000 leaders in the field--including clinical and basic science experts from medicine, nursing, sociology, psychology, nutrition, anthropology, epidemiology, pharmacy, and education--makes NAMS uniquely qualified to serve as the definitive resource for health professionals and the public for accurate, unbiased information about menopause and healthy aging. To learn more about NAMS, visit http://www.menopause.org.

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