Dr. Blackburn, a general and bariatric surgeon who received a PhD in Food Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was an international scientific and clinical leader in both Nutrition Medicine and Obesity. In his early work, he established the utility of protein-sparing therapy to preserve lean mass during periods of starvation from trauma or sepsis. Later, after turning his focus to the challenge of obesity, he studied the benefits and mechanisms of a protein-sparing modified fast to preserve lean tissue during periods of dietary weight loss. He was a leader in the then-emerging field of bariatric surgery and led several important efforts to establish evidence-based practice standards to optimize the benefits and safety of these operations.
Because his own work bridged science and clinical practice, Dr. Blackburn recognized, earlier than most, the need for more focused and rigorous education in obesity biology and medicine. This led him to establish the first comprehensive post-graduate course in obesity, Practical Approaches to the Treatment of Obesity, in 1987. During his 25 years as Course Director, he recruited many of the major contributors to obesity research and clinical care as faculty, bringing Practical Approaches to a position of leadership in obesity education. In 2013, recognizing Dr. Blackburn’s foresight and dedication to obesity education, the current course leadership renamed the course in his honor as the Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine and established the annual George L. Blackburn Honorary Lecture, giving course participants the opportunity to learn directly from many of the people who have made landmark contributions to the advancement of effective obesity care. This lecture and associated award are supported by a grant from the George L. Blackburn Foundation for Nutrition Medicine.
The continued growth and evolution of the Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine is the legacy of one of Dr. Blackburn’s most important contributions to this discipline. The Boston Course in Obesity Medicine is a continuation of
