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ACSM Obesity Care Exercise Specialist

ACSM Obesity Care Exercise Specialist 

Credits

15 CECs / 15 CME Credits

Description 

BRIDGING EXERCISE AND OBESITY CARE GUIDED BY SCIENCE, NOT BIAS

800 million+ adults worldwide live with obesity. Of these, many have additional obesity-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, liver and cardiovascular complications. The direct and indirect costs associated with obesity treatment are significant--more than $173 billion dollars in medical expenditures in the US alone, with annual healthcare costs for adults living with obesity being two to four times higher than those for adults without obesity.

The ACSM Obesity Care Exercise Specialist certificate course has been carefully developed by leading obesity care researchers, practitioners and exercise experts to provide evidence-based education and strategies to help professionals like you improve lives.

The latest research on obesity treatment pathways, including obesity medications and metabolic bariatric procedures, has been incorporated into this course to prepare the exercise professional to provide meaningful and effective support to clients using pharmacotherapy or surgical interventions.  

WHY THE ACSM OBESITY CARE EXERCISE SPECIALIST CERTIFICATE MATTERS:

For Exercise Professionals: Move Beyond Outdated Approaches and Into Real Obesity Care

This course equips exercise professionals with the knowledge and skills to work confidently and compassionately with individuals living with obesity.

  • Understand the full complexity of obesity: Move beyond “eat less, move more” to a science-based understanding of the biological, behavioral and environmental drivers of obesity as a chronic disease.
  • Deliver person-centered programming: Learn how to design physical activity plans that meet people where they are, focusing on function, well-being and sustainability rather than weight alone.
  • Stay within scope, while expanding impact: Gain clarity on your role within comprehensive obesity care and how to collaborate effectively with medical providers, dietitian and behavioral health professionals.
  • Build trust and long-term engagement: Apply strategies that reduce weight bias and stigma, enhance motivation and create positive movement experiences that people want to return to.

For Owners & Operators: Create Environments Where All Bodies Are Supported and All Staff Are Prepared

Facilities and organizations play a critical role in shaping the experience of people living with obesity. This course helps leaders build spaces that are inclusive, informed and aligned with modern healthcare.

  • Foster truly inclusive environments: Move beyond intention to action by addressing weight bias and stigma at the cultural and operational level.
  • Equip your staff with the right training: Ensure your team understands the complexity of obesity and can deliver safe, appropriate and respectful programming and communications.
  • Differentiate your organization: Position your facility as a trusted destination for individuals seeking evidence-based, compassionate obesity care.
  • Strengthen healthcare partnerships: Build credibility with referring providers by demonstrating that your staff is trained to support patients as part of a broader care team.

For Individuals Living with Obesity: Find Exercise Professionals Who Understand and Care Beyond the Scale

People living with obesity deserve access to qualified professionals who see them as more than a number.

  • Work with trained, knowledgeable specialists: Connect with exercise professionals who understand obesity as a complex, chronic disease, not a personal failure.
  • Experience respectful, weight stigma-free care: Engage in environments designed to support your comfort, confidence and autonomy.
  • Focus on how you feel and function: Receive exercise programming built to help you improve daily life, mobility and well-being not just weight outcomes.
  • Get collaborative care: Work with exercise professionals who collaborate with healthcare providers to support your overall health journey.

The ACSM Obesity Care Exercise Specialist certificate is designed to connect the fitness and healthcare worlds, ensuring that individuals living with obesity receive consistent, compassionate and evidence-based support across every touchpoint.

Discover how professionals like you can stand out amongst your peers, level up your career, and help change lives. Are you ready to make a positive impact?

Who Would Benefit from Taking This Course?

  • Certified group fitness instructors, personal trainers, exercise physiologists, clinical exercise physiologists and other exercise professionals
  • Healthcare professionals, such as doctors, physicians' assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and health educators
  • Athletic trainers
  • Physical therapists, occupational therapists and rehabilitation specialists
  • Nutritionists, wellness coaches and registered dietitian nutritionists
  • Anyone working with people living with obesity
  • Kinesiology, exercise science and health professions students looking to stand out and enhance their understanding of how to work with patients living with obesity

Criteria to Qualify to Take the Credential:

There are no prerequisites required, although a base knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy and exercise prescription is recommended. Once earned, the ACSM Obesity Care Exercise Specialist certificate will not expire or be required to renew. The ACSM Obesity Care Exercise Specialist certificate is designed to connect the fitness and healthcare worlds, ensuring that individuals living with obesity receive consistent, compassionate and evidence-based support across every touchpoint.

For more information related to this course, please visit Obesity Care Exercise Specialist Certificate - ACSM


Learning Objectives 

  • Describe obesity as a complex, chronic, multifactorial disease involving biological, behavioral and environmental factors
  • Identify biological contributors (e.g., neuroendocrine regulation, metabolic adaptation, medication effects) that influence weight regulation and exercise response
  • Develop individualized exercise prescriptions that account for physiological complexity, environmental factors, behaviors beyond physical activity and client needs, preferences and goals, and chronic disease management
  • Describe the role of the exercise professional within a multidisciplinary obesity care team and summarize the major evidence-based treatment pathways (behavioral, pharmacologic and surgical)
  • Explain how obesity management medications and metabolic bariatric surgery influence physiology, body composition and individualized exercise prescription while remaining within scope of practice
  • Describe appropriate referral, communication and collaboration strategies to support coordinated, team-based obesity care
  • Define weight bias and stigma and explain their impact on physical health, mental health and participation in physical activity
  • Identify person-centered, autonomy-supportive communication strategies, including asking permission before weight-related discussions and conducting assessments that prioritize privacy, dignity and inclusivity
  • Identify and address individual, environmental and institutional practices that reinforce stigma and develop advocacy strategies to promote weight-inclusive, accessible exercise environments using a Social Ecological framework

Presenter(s) 

This course was designed by leading experts and educators in obesity treatment, research, and practice with a focus on the unique role of exercise and physical activity in comprehensive care models.

COURSE DESIGNERS:

Renee J. Rogers, PhD, FACSM, FTOS, is an expert in designing and studying bio-behavioral health-related interventions for the treatment of obesity and other health conditions, with a focus on integrating exercise, behavioral strategies, and technology to support long-term adherence in obesity and chronic disease care. She is a sought-after educator, presenter, media contributor, and speaker, and is currently, a Senior Scientist at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Rogers blends her formal training in exercise physiology, health and human behavior, and obesity care with over 30 years of real-world experience as an exercise professional, researcher, strategist, and consultant to translate science into engaging, real-world programs. Her work bridges patient experiences and biological outcomes, with a research portfolio examining exercise, body composition and tissue health, and exercise engagement alongside contemporary obesity treatments including pharmacotherapy and metabolic bariatric surgery. She is a dedicated member of ACSM and has served in leadership roles including chairing the program committee for the Health & Fitness Summit, and the Strategic Health Initiative on Behavior. She also serves in leadership roles with The Obesity Society and is passionate about sharing the latest evidenced-based, weight-stigma-free messaging around obesity care. Dr. Rogers brings her translational, person-centered approach into designing impactful, evidence-based education for exercise and obesity care professionals.

Sara J. Kovacs, PhD, FACSM, is an Associate Professor of Instruction and Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University. She has extensive training in physical activity, weight management, and obesity care, with research focused on identifying strategies to improve participation and promote long-term engagement among individuals who are living with obesity or undergoing metabolic bariatric surgery. As an educator, Dr. Kovacs prepares current and future exercise professionals to promote physical activity in an inclusive and sustainable way. She is a leader in making behavioral theory digestible and applicable for exercise professionals, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to help humans engage in health-related behaviors, and cultivating weight bias and stigma-free, inclusive exercise environments. She is an expert in incorporating active learning to make exercise education engaging. The courses she teaches bridge science and practice and integrates active learning and learner-centered strategies to engage students and support real-world application. She has served as a member of several ACSM committees, co-author of a chapter for ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription and was named the 2025 recipient of the Wolters Kluwer Innovation in Teaching Award presented by the ACSM Exercise Science Education Special Interest Group. She brings her extensive expertise in instructional design and learner engagement to the Obesity Care Exercise Specialist certificate.

John M. Jakicic, PhD, FACSM, FAHA, FTOS, ACSM-CEP is a Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management at the University of Kansas Medical Center and a world-wide leader in the role of physical activity and comprehensive behavioral intervention in obesity, body weight regulation, and chronic disease prevention science. His interdisciplinary research spans all obesity treatment pathways including lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy, and metabolic bariatric surgery. With over 300 publications and leading or contributing to numerous large-scale clinical trials, Dr. Jakicic has dedicated his career to establishing physical activity and exercise as an important component of weight management and obesity treatments. Beyond his impactful contributions to science, he is a dedicated speaker and translator of evidence into practice known for educating exercise professionals, clinicians, dietitians, and other members of comprehensive care teams. Dr. Jakicic has played a key role in shaping national and international physical activity guidelines, including service on the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee and the National Academies’ Round Table on Obesity Solutions. He has served ACSM as a Vice-President, a member of the Board of Trustees, and as the Chair of the Strategic Health Initiative for Obesity, and importantly, key author of ACSM’s Position Papers and Consensus Statements on the role of physical activity in obesity treatment. His work spans biological, behavioral, and psychosocial perspectives, positioning him uniquely to design evidence-based educational content that integrates physical activity science with contemporary obesity treatment approaches.

The Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for this certificate span clinical practice, metabolic bariatric surgery, nutrition, mental health and clinical psychology, physiological and behavioral research, applied programming and practice, advocacy and policy, and importantly, represent the lived experience. Please see the PDF document labeled "Subject Matter Experts" within the course for more information. 

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS: 

Caroline M. Apovian, MD, FACP, FTOS, DABOM

Anita P. Courcoulas, MD, MPH, FACS

Nina Crowley, PhD, RDN, LD

Michael Donnelly-Boylen

Sarah J. Le Brocq, BSc (Hons)

Melissa A. Napolitano, PhD

Robyn Pashby, PhD

Vu Pham

Michael Stack BS, ACSM-EP, ACSM-EIM, ACSM-PAPHS, CSCS, FMFA

Stella L. Volpe, PhD, RDN, ACSM-CEP, FACSM

Accessibility

All course content will be presented to you electronically. This includes all videos, handouts, evaluations and certificates of completion. We strive to adhere to current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards in our ongoing effort to provide an accessible learning experience for all users. To report a course accessibility issue, please email [email protected].

Membership Discount

ACSM members receive discounts for online learning courses and access to exclusive free content. Members must be logged into their accounts at Home - ACSM in order to reflect the discount. To become a member, learn more at Join ACSM - ACSM

Questions

For questions related to your online CEC courses or purchases, email [email protected]. Check out our Help Center - ACSM!

Disclaimer

Viewpoints presented in this content reflect opinions of the presenters and do not reflect positions or policies of ACSM.

Exercise professionals must operate within the boundaries of their respective scope of competency. When client needs extend beyond these areas, such as in matters related to medical nutrition therapy, prescription of supplements, or mental health concerns, they should refer clients to appropriately qualified healthcare professionals.

Learners will have 1 year of access to this content and must complete this course within 365 days from the date of purchase. ACSM will not offer refunds, extensions, transfers, or course credits for incomplete courses prior to their expiration date.  ACSM does not allow substitutions, refunds or credits for this course.  Care has been taken to confirm the accuracy of the information present and describe generally accepted practices. ACSM expressly disclaims all liability for damages or injury of any kind arising out of information contained in this content.

The 12th edition of ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription was published in 2024. This edition incorporates the latest ACSM recommendations and reflects current best practices informed by new research and advancements in the field. Please be sure to reference the most recent edition which can be found here: ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription - ACSM. For more information regarding updates to ACSM resources, please visit ACSM Book Updates - ACSM.