Policy Pathways to Addressing Obesity Disparities in Women

Dr. Lydia C. Alexander is a leader in obesity medicine, lifestyle medicine, and internal medicine, certified by both the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). As a medical chef trained at Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, she seamlessly integrates nutrition, metabolic health, and evidence-based obesity treatments, advocating for the power of food as medicine, behavioral health, and fitness.

A recognized thought leader, Dr. Alexander has earned the 2018 Obesity Medicine Clinician of the Year Award and the 2019 Dr. Raymond E. Dietz Meritorious Service Award.

Dr. Alexander’s current projects include lead chapter author for the upcoming 2025 publication, Lifestyle Medicine and the Primary Care Provider: A Practical Approach to Delivering Whole Health, in collaboration with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). This chapter will provide primary care clinicians with actionable guidance on the pillars of obesity treatment in primary care settings; Nutritional Priorities to Support GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity: A Joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society is slated for release in Spring 2025.

Dr. Alexander earned her undergraduate degree from Tufts University, her Doctor of Medicine from UC Davis School of Medicine, and completed her internal medicine residency at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, where she also served as Chief Resident and continues to mentor residents at Enara Health.

Sara D. Brown, MPA is the Senior Director of Government Affairs at Prevent Blindness where she represents the lived experiences of people with vision loss to policymakers in pursuit of policies that prevent blindness and preserve sight. Since joining Prevent Blindness in 2017, Sara has grown the organization’s presence on Capitol Hill, with the Administration, and amongst stakeholder groups in pursuit of Prevent Blindness’s policy goals, including the bipartisan Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act (EDVI Act), strengthening federal investments in vision and eye health programs, and improving access and coverage policies for eye health patients. Sara has over a decade of experience in health care policy in Washington, having begun her career as a legislative and staff aide with the U.S. Senate. A Nebraska native, she holds degrees in English and Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Kearney and a master’s degree in public administration from Walden University.

Ms. Vafiadis, MS, oversees strategic program operations for the National Council on Aging’s (NCOA) health portfolio. She directs a team of 16 staff members who engage community-based organizations nationwide to support older adults through services and evidence-based programming. Under her leadership, the team manages numerous grants to promote the organization’s mission of improving quality of life and positively impacting the health and financial security of older adults. Additionally, Ms. Vafiadis builds business alliances and leads collaborative initiatives that focus on educating and raising awareness about chronic diseases, advocating for policies that protect the rights of older adults, promoting nutrition security, addressing social isolation, and enhancing behavioral health.

Ms. Vafiadis brings over 25 years of experience in public health, government, and non-profit sectors to her work, designing and developing national demonstration projects in partnership with community organizations and aligned sponsors across the country.

Before joining NCOA, Ms. Vafiadis worked at the American Heart Association (AHA), where she directed a Healthy Living strategy and cardiovascular disease prevention programs to raise awareness that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women. At AHA, she also led an industry nutrition advisory panel and established relationships with multiple multinational food companies to improve the food environment. Prior to her role at AHA, Ms. Vafiadis served as a senior nutritionist at the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

She is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Food Forum, an advisory panel member for Cecelia Health, and co-chair of the National Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN).