Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025 was hosted at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA from May 3-6. This year, DDW hosted over 13,000 researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals in gastroenterology and hepatology with representation from over 100 countries.
DR. CHRISTOPHER MCGOWAN
Dr. Christopher McGowan, MD, a leader in endobariatrics, specializes in non-surgical obesity treatments and is triple-board-certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Obesity Medicine. Renowned for pioneering endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) with over 2,000 procedures, his global influence and research contributions define him as a top expert.
For over 50 years, industry leaders have been invited to DDW to share innovative ideas, network, and collaborate. True You Weight Loss’s own Dr. Christopher McGowan, MD was invited to speak at DDW for the second year in a row, sharing about the latest research and innovations in endoscopic procedures for weight loss.
Our Favorite Moments from Digestive Disease Week 2025
The theme for DDW 2025 was “Be Gutsy,” encouraging digestive disease health professionals to share about times they have trusted their gut instincts and been bold during their careers. This theme inspired attendees to tell their most inspiring stories online and brought many impactful presentations to the podium.
Nearly 6,000 abstracts were presented at this year’s conference, covering a variety of sectors within the industry, ranging from surgery and endoscopy to nutrition and pharmaceuticals – notably, this year’s topics also included advancements in AI technology for digestive disease treatment. Abstract submissions are already open for next year’s meeting.
In addition to the groundbreaking research presentations, DDW premiered a joint AGA-ASGE Postgraduate Course this year.
Several members of the True You Weight Loss team attended the 2025 meeting in person, including founder and CEO Christopher McGowan, MD, Research Director Shannon Casey, and two medical student interns.
Noted speakers during the DDW “Innovations in Endoscopic Bariatrics Session,” including Shailendra Singh, MD (WVU Medicine); Dr. Christopher McGowan, MD (True you Weight Loss); Allison Schulman, MD (University of Michigan); Reem Sharaiha, MD (Weill Cornell); Pichamol Jirapinyo, MD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital); Barham Abu Dayyeh, MD (Cedars-Sinai); Khushboo Gala, MBBS (Mayo Clinic).
TYWL interns Aryan Jain and Aditya Jain, MD candidates at Albany Medical College, attended DDW 2025.
“The ESG with GFMA procedure is a significant advancement in endoscopic weight loss. For the first time, a fully endoscopic approach has delivered surgical-level outcomes without incisions or hospitalization—marking a significant shift in how we may treat obesity in the future.”
Dr. McGowan Presents at Digestive Disease Week for the Second Consecutive Year
Dr. Christopher McGowan was invited to Digestive Disease Week 2024 to present about a groundbreaking new technique for weight loss and obesity treatment, Gastric Fundus Mucosal Ablation (GFMA), involving ablating the cells that produce the hunger hormone ghrelin. At that time, initial trials showed promise for the approach.
Since then, Dr. McGowan and the True You Weight Loss team have expanded upon this research, integrating GFMA with Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) to study the combined weight loss benefits for adults with obesity.
Looking Forward to DDW 2026
The True You Weight Loss team was grateful for another opportunity to learn, connect, and share at DDW 2025 and looks forward to returning to the conference next year.
Until then, keep up with Dr. McGowan’s ongoing research and read the True You blog to stay up to date on the leading edge of weight loss and obesity treatment.
