Lori has been working in the field of nutrition since 1983. She has extensive experience in both pediatric and adult nutrition. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from University of California at Davis, and a Masters Degree in Nutritional Sciences from University of Washington, Seattle. She completed her internship to become a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist with an 18-month fellowship at the Center for Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington She became a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist in 2015.

Lori's first 22 years of nutrition practice was mostly in pediatrics, first in the Women, Infants and Children's program, and then at Seattle Children's hospital, where she specialized in Children with Special Healthcare Needs. In 2006, Lori moved to Bend Oregon and began working in private practice. During her first 12 years she worked with both children and adults. For the past 4 years, she is again focusing on pediatrics, working out of a small pediatric office. She has a special focus on feeding problems and eating disorders in children, including Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and other eating disorders. In working with kids who have obesity, she is always aware of the need to build self-esteem, prevent body shaming and prevent eating disorders.

Lori wrote the book Healthy Choices, Healthy Children a guide to raising fit, happy kids with journalist, Sue Schumann, published in 2011. This focused on prevention of pediatric obesity.

Lori is married to Bob Brydges and has two adult kids. She keeps active throughout the year with swimming, biking, skiing and walking/hiking. She also enjoys hanging out with her family, cooking, playing piano and reading.

Dr. O'Hara brings 20 years of pediatric weight management experience to her families and community. She received her board certification in Obesity Medicine in 2013 via the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She began this focused work as part of the Maine Youth Overweight Collaborative in 2000. She has been involved with Let's Go as a Physician Champion, visiting the Primary Care Practices in the EMHS region since 2010, Dr. O'Hara presented research data at multiple National conferences, including OMA, AAP, The Obesity Society. WOW shared their Telemedicine Poster at Obesity Week/TOS/ASMBS conference, Summer Camp poster at the National AAP Fall conference in Chicago and Poster at the 2017 OMA re: The Cardiometabolic Disease Burden in Children presenting to a Rural Pediatric Stage 3 Weight Management Clinic – earning 1st Place honor. She has had numerous publications including Obesity and ADHD, Barriers to Pediatric Obesity Care, Sleep Dysregulation and Obesity, and is a co-author of the OMA Pediatric Obesity Algorithm 2018-2020. As an advocate for her patients, she shared her WOW experience with the Dept. of Defense in Washington, DC and with former Gov. Baldacci. She is a member of The Obesity Society, The Obesity Medicine Association, and the Obesity Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. O'Hara graduated from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1996 and completed her Pediatric Residency at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in 1999. Dr. O'Hara is passionate about her patients and is dedicated to improving the health of the families with whom she works.

Dr. O'Hara and the MOA Planning Committee disclose that they have no relevant financial relationships with any organization producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients relative to the content of this presentation.