Mayo Clinic Health Solutions expert slated for keynote presentation at national conference on disability management

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The "Behavioral Risk 2007" Conference, hosted by the Disability Management Employer Coalition, March 29-30, 2007, in Long Beach, Calif., will feature a keynote presentation by Matthew Clark, Ph.D., behavioral expert from Mayo Clinic Health Solutions in Rochester, Minn.

In his presentation, "Overcoming the Top 10 Psychosocial Barriers to Behavioral Change," Dr. Clark will discuss the most prevalent psychosocial barriers to optimal health and productivity and how organizations can provide their employees with the tools to overcome these barriers. Drawing from 20 years of clinical and research experience, and as a health psychologist at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Clark's keynote address will offer possible answers for companies wishing to empower their employees to change behaviors that put their health at risk.

Dr. Clark is a board-certified clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic. He also is associate medical editor of the newsletter Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth. He is a contributor to the Mayo Clinic on Healthy Weight book, and his obesity research is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health. He has more than 70 scientific publications in such journals as Obesity Research, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Eating Behaviors, American Journal of Cardiology, Obesity Surgery, and Health Psychology. For the past 20 years, he has provided behavior therapy for weight management. He has led work-site weight management and smoking cessation groups. His research has focused on identifying psychological factors that present barriers for successful long-term lifestyle change. In addition to his clinical and research activities, Dr. Clark is a medical advisor for Mayo Clinic Health Solutions.