Newswise — The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR®), the national leader in promoting research on the biological differences between women and men, announces that the 5th Annual “What a Difference an X Makes” conference will be held in Washington, D.C., on September 23. SWHR® also has expanded this popular conference to include an inaugural regional conference co-sponsored by Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta on October 17. Register to attend either conference at SWHR.org.

The annual X Conference helps raise awareness about the importance of sex and gender differences in various diseases and conditions that affect both women and men. Attendees will include: researchers and students from academic institutions; health care providers; patient advocacy groups; federal agency staff; representatives of the pharmaceutical industry; members of the media; science writers; and the general public.

This year’s conferences on “What a Difference an X Makes: Weighing in on Sex and Gender Differences in the Obesity Epidemic” will bring together interdisciplinary experts to share perspectives on obesity as a public health problem and the impact on women’s health. They will cover a broad range of topics, including: obesity as a disease; potential predictors of obesity; associated health outcomes and comorbidities; and pregnancy in obese women. The Washington, D.C., conference also will discuss how obese patients interact with the U.S. health care system while the Atlanta conference will feature perspectives on the link between diet and obesity from both health advocates and the food and beverage industry.

“The Society for Women’s Health Research has been leading the way on the study of sex and gender differences for nearly 25 years. This year’s X Conference will focus on obesity, an issue of vital importance to the health of our nation,” said Phyllis Greenberger, SWHR® president and CEO. “The American Medical Association declared obesity a disease last year and more than one in three American adults have been classified as obese. The 2014 X Conference will explore how sex, gender, racial and ethnic differences and risk factors affect obesity, and the conditions and consequences that often accompany this disease.”

These conferences are complimentary and open to the public. Registration is now open at SWHR.org.

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