Dr Dominique Durrer has been elected President of the Swiss Association for the Study of Obesity. She took up this post in November 2018, and will be the national Swiss representative for EASO during the upcoming 3 years. The Swiss National Association, Association Suisse sur l’Etude du Métabolisme et de l’Obésité (ASEMO)has several projects planned for the upcoming years:
- First, there is a project in conjunction with the Swiss Federal Office of Health. Its first aim is the “recognition of obesity as a disease” from a political point of view at the federal level and by the private health insurance.
- The second key aim is to develop a standardised, multidisciplinary obesity management program, elaborated by national obesity experts in Switzerland. This multidisciplinary programme will include physical activity, nutrition, behavioural therapy and patient therapeutic education elements. The plan is to ensure that the programme is completely reimbursed by health insurance and could be rolled out across the entire country. As you know, Switzerland has French, German and Italian – speaking /cultural regions. This initiative will be implemented far beyond hospitals and could also be led by private accredited obesity specialists, and even individual GPs educated and certified in obesity science and management.
- The third objective of the Swiss National approach is to develop materials and tools — for GPs and pediatricians alike, interested in obesity management for the children, teenagers and their families they see in their practices.
We have much work to do, and the future is bright!