Food As Medicine: Calorie Density – A Simple Yet Powerful Approach to Weight Loss

Calorie density is a wonderful tool and concept that can effectively support weight loss and achieving optimal health. In this Food as Medicine session led by Anthony Lim, MD, JD, DipABLM, Medical Director of the McDougall Program and Lecturer at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in Santa Rosa, CA defines calorie density and demonstrates the powerful benefits of this approach.

The session also covers some of the most common “pitfalls” or mistakes made when it comes to calorie density. Lastly, we review the application of calorie density principles to daily life for the purpose of achieving weight control and optimal health.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:  

  • Outline nutrition principles that address both overall health and healthy weight 
  • Articulate application of food as medicine for overall health and healthy weight 
  • Describe the concept of calorie density and the benefits of eating a low-calorie density diet 
  • Recognize common pitfalls that patients fall into when it comes to calorie density 
  • Explain principles for how to apply calorie density in daily life 
Cmebanner Caloriedensity 100

“Patient counseling is very challenging when it comes to diet. Learning about calorie density and how it is the easiest way for a healthful eating gives me newfound optimism and better strategy to equip me in my day to day clinic.”

John Smith, M.D.

Pricing For Food As Medicine Calorie Density Course

Accreditation Statement: In support of improving patient care, Rush University Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. 

For Medicine: Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.    

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.  

For Nursing: Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 nursing contact hour(s).    

For Pharmacy: Rush University Medical Center designates this knowledge-based enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 contact hour(s) for pharmacists.    

For Psychologists: Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.25 CE credits in psychology.   

For Dieticians: This enduring material has been approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration for 1.25 CPEUs.   

For Social Work: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Rush University Medical Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved continuing education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 general continuing education credits.    

For Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy: Rush University Medical Center is an approved provider for physical therapy (216.000378) and occupational therapy (224.000220) by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.  Rush University Medical Center designates this enduring material for 1.25 continuing education credits.   

For ABIM MOC: Successful completion of this activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.25 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participation completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.   

For AAFP Prescribed Credits: The AAFP has reviewed Food as Medicine: Calorie Density- A Simple Yet Powerful Approach to Weight Loss and deemed it acceptable for up to 1.25 Enduring Materials, Self-Study AAFP Prescribed credits. Term of Approval is from 08/17/2023 to 08/17/2024. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™ toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.  

For ABLM MOC: The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine has approved 1.25 maintenance of certification credits (MOC) for this learning activity.   

For NBC-HWCs: The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) has approved 1.25 continuing education credits for this learning activity: CE-000071-4. 

As a provider of continuing education, Rush University Medical Center asks everyone who has the ability to control or influence the content of an educational activity to disclose information about all of their financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months.  There is no minimum financial threshold; individuals must disclose all financial relationships, regardless of the amount, with ineligible companies.  Individuals must disclose regardless of their view of the relevance of the relationship to the education.  Mechanisms are in place to identify and mitigate any potential conflicts of interest prior to the start of the activity.  All information disclosed must be shared with the participants/learners prior to the start of the educational activity. 

Unapproved Uses of Drugs/Devices:  In accordance with requirements of the FDA, the audience is advised that information presented in this continuing medical education activity may contain references to unlabeled or unapproved uses of drugs or devices.  Please refer to the FDA approved package insert for each drug/device for full prescribing/utilization information. 

Individuals in control of content have disclosed the following: 

  • Rohit Moghe, PharmD, MSPH, CDCES | Member, Speakers Bureau, Novo Nordisk 

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated. The remaining course director(s), planner(s), faculty, and reviewer(s) of this activity have no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose. 

Course Format
Food as Medicine: Calorie Density – A Simple Yet Powerful Approach to Weight Loss consists of one lecture and 1.25 hours of content.

Duration 
1.25 hours of CME/CE content

Specifications 
Content is viewed in a digital format. Users are able to click through the interactive modules at their own pace and complete a corresponding quiz. This content can be viewed on a desktop, tablet or mobile device. Speakers or headphones are required.

Term of Approval
August 17, 2023 – August 16, 2026

Enrollment
Access to online material is granted through the term of approval which ends August 16, 2026.

Food As Medicine: Calorie Density – A Simple, Yet Powerful Approach to Weight Loss course expires on August 16, 2026. If you would like to claim any credit for the course—CME or CE— you must do so by August 16, 2026, at 11:59pm PDT.

Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim, MD, JD, DipABLM 

Medical Director, Dr. McDougall Health & Medical Center
Lecturer, Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center 

Dr. Anthony Lim is the Medical Director of the McDougall Program, a lifestyle medical program based in Santa Rosa, California, that has helped thousands of patients to successfully transition to a whole-food, plant-based diet and radically improve their overall health and well-being.  He also teaches the plant-based classes offered by Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center.   

Dr. Lim is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Law School, and Boston University School of Medicine. He is board-certified in family medicine and lifestyle medicine, and completed his residency training at Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency.  He is also a bar-certified attorney in the state of California.   

Dr. Lim lives in Santa Rosa with his wife, Jean, and their two children, Joshua (15) and Julia (11), who bring them endless joy and laughter.  His outside interests include playing out in nature, learning guitar, and continually growing in his Christian faith.