Apply for COTE
Historically, the World Health Organization (WHO) has had its focus on malnutrition. Today the world is faced with the pandemic of obesity/diabesity, and many other associated non-communicable diseases. The pandemic originated in the US and spread to Europe and then to other affluent nations, before, remarkably it penetrated even the world’s most impoverished countries. The globesity pandemic continues to outweigh and allude all our efforts to combat it. Today, it is rare to find a family that has not been affected by this pandemic.

Our international fellowship of certified and credential bariatric specialists, from both the physical and social sciences are trained in the biological mechanisms, psychological processes, and social influences of the full spectrum of obesities. The consensus of our multidisciplinary fellowship is that there are significant disparities in bariatric care and treatment worldwide. Offering the public and health professionals the ability to identify accredited centers of therapeutic excellence that provide best bariatric practices and that have measurable outcomes, could serve as clinical models that can be globally replicated.

To aid in the resolving of disparities in bariatric care and in the spirit of public health, the American Association of Bariatric Counselors. developed the Center of Therapeutic Excellence Accreditation Program.

CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS

The American Association of Bariatric Counselors (AABC) is an official US Federal not-for-profit, professional fellowship association dedicated to the advancement of bariatric science education and to the enhancement of bariatric care and treatment. Founded in 2005, AABC is the world’s largest association exclusively representing professional multi-disciplinary board-certified bariatricprofessionals. The AABC Division of Centers of Therapeutic Excellence (COTE) Program recognizes, accredits, and highlight centers, worldwide, who have kept pace with the bariatric science and provides optimal and compassionate therapeutic care for bariatric patients. AABC/ COTE provides the public, and the health community with the guidance to identify trusted and accredited bariatric treatment centers and board-certified bariatric specialists.