Many thanks to the EASO executive team, all our delegates, sponsors, colleagues, EASO ECPO members and friends for participating in ECO2019 in Glasgow.
Many thanks to the EASO executive team, all our delegates, sponsors, colleagues, EASO ECPO members and friends for participating in ECO2019 in Glasgow. The European Congress on Obesity was a great success, with a record number of participants, a stellar line-up of international speakers and presentations, an excellent multi-track scientific programme, patient engagement, free accommodation available to New Investigators, and networking and social activities for all. The 2019 congress attracted tremendous media coverage.
We are already hard at work on your 2020 congress, a combined European and International event, #ECOICO2020.
Save the dates 17-20 May, 2020 – join us at The Convention Centre in Dublin, Ireland.
In this section, we are pleased to share the latest EASO news,
announcements and learning opportunities
New Patient Organisation Launched At ECO2019
EASO is delighted to announce the launch of the new EASO ECPO – the European Coalition for People Living with Obesity. An announcement was made Monday 29 April at the EASO European Congress on Obesity 2019 #ECO2019 in Glasgow.
Members of the new patient-led organisation chaired or spoke in 14 medical and scientific sessions at the ECO. Representing 22 national patient-focused obesity organisations and advocacy leaders across Europe, the ECPO mission is to “work collaboratively across Europe to improve the lives of people affected by the chronic disease obesity, through advocacy, policy & education.”
Train the Trainer Summer School
EASO hosts a popular course which trains trainers across disciplines in the clinical management of obesity and provides public health and patient perspectives. This summer we hosted an excellent course 1-5 July 2019 in Annecy, France. Course participation is by application. Stay in touch to apply for the 2020 course.
Learn more about the Train the Trainers initiative
RCGP Summer Training Course
Obesity Is a chronic disease with a complex multifactorial aetiology and multiple health consequences. In order to provide high quality training to General Practitioners in medicine, EASO, the UK Association for the Study of Obesity (UK ASO) and the UK Royal College of General Practitioners have collaborated to develop a CPD certified training course for our colleagues in general practice. The sold-out course for 300 GPs was held on Tuesday 25 June 2019 at the RCGP.
2019 Easo Media Masterclass
We are pleased to share Perspectives on “Obesity: a Chronic Disease” with some of our ECO2019 Media Masterclass speakers, Professor Barbara McGowan, Dr Abd Tahrani and Professor Lee Kaplan.
Watch these brief, excellent presentations on YouTube
NIU Autumn School
EASO is pleased to host the upcoming New Investigators United Autumn School, held this year in Napoli Italy. This highly competitive programme will provide training on hot topics in obesity to early career researchers, scientists and clinicians across Europe. Join the New Investigators Network and follow the NIU on Facebook and Twitter
Learn more and apply today!
Misalignment Between Perception, Reality and Actions in Obesity
Despite increased recognition as a chronic disease, obesity remains greatly under-diagnosed and under-treated
The ACTION IO study, the primary manuscript of which is in the link below, identified international perceptions, attitudes, behaviours and barriers to effective obesity care for people with obesity (PwO) and healthcare professionals (HCPs).
Watch the video and read the research paper
N8 Agrifood Mission to China: Reflections from Dr Charlotte Hardman
“In March 2019, I joined a delegation from N8 AgriFood on a 1-week partnership building visit to China. The group represented the Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, and York with research expertise spanning all three themes of N8 AgriFood activities (Sustainable Food Production, Resilient Supply Chains, Improved Consumption & Health).
The aim of the visit was to advance collaborations between N8 AgriFood and Chinese partners, particularly China Rural Technology Development Council (CRTDC). This involved both reinforcing existing relations and initiating new partnerships by pitching specific projects for collaboration. Featured projects included sugar replacement (the SWITCH and SWEET projects), food system resilience (iKnowFood), food marketing & childhood obesity, and urban agriculture & health (Rurban Revolution).”
Read the full report from Dr Charlotte Hardman
N8 Agrifood Targets Online Data Collection from Children
During the N8 AgriFood Policy Focus Week 10-14 June 2019, the organisation shared an open letter to social media brands including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Google and Microsoft requesting that these companies implement a company-wide policy to prohibit the collection of data from children under 18.
Read the open letter from N8 AgriFood
“Polygon for Physical Activity of School-aged Children” – Selected for Best Practice Award Aligned With SDGS
EASO congratulates the Croatian project “Polygon for Physical Activity of School-Aged Children,” which has been designated by DG SANTE (European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety) Joint Research Centre’s best practices team Evaluation Committee, as one of 16 European public health best practice programmes conducive to reaching Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 3.4
“…by 2030 reduce by one-third pre-mature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention and treatment, and promote mental health and wellbeing.”
European Obesity Day and The EASO Policy Conference 2019
European Obesity Day EOD2019 was held on Saturday, 18 May, 2019. The awareness day brought together healthcare, patient and political communities who are keen to raise awareness of obesity and the many other diseases on which it impacts. The theme for EOD 2019 was Tackling Obesity Together.
The EASO Policy Conference 2019 – “The Social and Economic Impact of Preventing and Treating Obesity” took place on Thursday 16th May at the Renaissance Hotel in Brussels. The event was held in conjunction with European Obesity Day (EOD) 2019.
Learn more about the event on the European Obesity Day website.
EASO Supports ASOI Efforts to Tackle Obesity Stigma: EOD 2019
People with a higher weight experience stigma in many aspects of their lives, with has a negative impact on health. A national obesity conference in Dublin heard how obesity is highly stigmatised and people living with obesity face bias and discrimination in virtually all societal settings, including education, work, online, and even in health care settings.
Medscape Commentary ECO2019
Professor Jason Halford, treasurer of the European Association for the Study of Obesity who teaches at the University of Liverpool provides this reflection on the 2019 European Congress on Obesity to Medscape. Dr Halford highlights obesity as a disease, patient involvement and more.
Watch the interview on the Medscape website
Challenging Obesity Stigma
People living with obesity experience stigma on a daily basis, including in the workplace, in education, in media and even in healthcare settings. The social stigma of obesity has a significant impact on the lives of people living with this chronic disease.
What is the hardest part of living with obesity? Watch this video to find out more. We all need to lose the weight of stigma
Obesity: ABCD
Obesity is a chronic disease producing an increasingly heavy burden on citizens, health care systems, workforce productivity, cities, and society at large. It should therefore be considered as a top priority, with increased commitments for concerted, coordinated, and specific actions.
Coining the phrase expressing obesity as an Adiposity-Based Chronic Disease (ABCD) is of particular relevance and is in line with the EASO proposal to improve the International Classification of Diseases ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for obesity based on three dimensions: etiology, degree of adiposity, and health risks.
Read the Full Article in Obesity Facts: The European Journal of Obesity
MDBriefcase Online Obesity KTS Available in Spanish
Developed in collaboration with the mdBriefCase Group, a leading provider of online education, and Sociedad Española para el Estudio de la Obesidad (SEEDO), “Adult Obesity in Spain” is an accredited continuing professional development program designed for healthcare professionals in Spain. The course is also available in several other languages.
ACCESS AND ENROLLMENT ARE COMPLETELY FREE. Registration includes access to the program and additional resources, videos, and publications to use within your practice
Obesity is recognised as one of Europe’s priority health challenges, however specialised obesity services are not widely available and obesity treatment and care can therefore vary enormously across European regions.
The EASO exchange and mentoring programme provides a solution by supporting the establishment of new centres that improve access to and delivery of quality, multi-disciplinary care.
You can apply to the COMS mentoring programme on the EASO website. Learn more about our individual certification opportunities below.
EASO is pleased to announce the launch of our new individual Certification in Obesity Management, and European and National Clinical Fellowship programmes.
The individual certification programme will run in parallel to the EASO Collaborating Centres for Obesity Management (COMs). The Clinical Fellowship recognises national and European expertise in obesity management.
The Weight of the World Initiative: Share Your Story!
The EASO ECPO supports the Weight of the World Initiative and encourages our European colleagues and those across the world to join the conversation!
This initiative was the brainchild of the USA based Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). To share your story, join the OAC community and log-in as an OAC Community Member. Then you will be able to access the video archive of stories and begin connecting. We hope the powerful stories shared through the OAC Weight of the World Initiative will offer you support, inspiration, hope and encouragement along your personal journey.
We are pleased to announce the latest issues of OBESITY FACTS, volume 12 numbers 3 and 4, 2019 are available online and open access
EASO New Investigators United was established in 2005 and acts as an informal community for new investigators to collaborate on projects and to share experiences and expertise. The NIU initiative combines an online community with an annual event at the European Congress on Obesity, where new professionals have an opportunity to meet, interact and share ideas with colleagues from around the world.
Hydration For Health Conference
Interested in Hydration? EASO executive team members, New Investigators and members of the EASO ECPO were pleased to attend the 11th annual Hydration for Health hydration academy and conference in Evian.
Learn more about the H4H Conference
Discover The Science: Rethink Obesity
Watch this animation encouraging people to see past pre-existing stima and look at Obesity from a scientific perspective
We are pleased to introduce you to EASO leadership and new members of the EASO Patient Council
Meet the President of ASEMO: Dominique Durrer
Dr Dominique Durrer has been elected President of the Swiss Association for the Study of Obesity. Dr Durrer took up this post in November 2018, and will be the national Swiss representative for EASO for 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.
Patient Spotlight: Meet Hana Vrabcová
We are pleased to introduce Hana Vrabcová, a new member of the EASO ECPO representing Slovakia.
“My name is Hana Vrabcová, I have studied pharmacy and law in Bratislava, I worked in various positions in health care and later I set up a private health center, where I work with my daughter who is also pharmacist. Apart from pharmacy, I am interested in healthy eating habits and the relationship between food, overweight and obesity.”
NIU Spotlight Interview: Best Thesis Award Winner Jenny Rayner
Jenny Rayner’s exciting new research has shown that intentional weight-loss for patients in cardiac failure leads to significant improvement in heart function.
“The impact of obesity on heart function is an area which combines several of my interests, including imaging the heart and understanding more about its physiology on a cellular level. The significance of the changes which are brought about by obesity is profound, and yet hugely underappreciated in the cardiology community. It is really exciting to see that addressing obesity may provide a realistic treatment strategy in the fight against heart failure.”
Spotlight on EASO President Dr Nathalie Farpour-Lambert
Dr Nathalie Farpour-Lambert, paediatrician, child obesity expert and head of the Obesity Prevention and Care Program Contrepoids, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland, became the new President of the European Association for Study of Obesity (EASO) during ECO2018.
“Obesity and obesity-related diseases place a major strain on healthcare systems, both immediately and in terms of future health concerns. This has an impact not only on individuals but also on society as a whole; this ultimately impacts national economic growth.”
In this section we share news from
prominent EU projects in which EASO partners
EU Protein Project Launch
A new project, led by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) will provide personalized nutrition and physical activity support to consumers.
PROTEIN (PeRsOnalized nutriTion for hEalthy livINg), a three-and-a-half year European Commission Horizon 2020 funded initiative, is supported by a consortium of 20 pan-European technology, research, consumer and industry partners.
This research initiative will develop and supply personalized nutrition and physical ac-tivity support using Artificial Intelligence (AI) information and techniques so that people can make healthier choices based on their unique needs, behaviours and preferences.
Read More Information on PROTEIN
Introducing SWEET
A new EU H2020 funded project, SWEET, has launched in London! SWEET, a European Commission Horizon 2020 funded project, is supported by a consortium of 29 pan-European research, consumer and industry partners, who will develop and review evidence on long term benefits and potential risks involved in switching over to sweeteners and sweetness enhancers (S&SEs) in the context of public health and safety, obesity, and sustainability. EASO is a project communications and dissemination partner.
Learn more about the project and read the project press release
Follow the project on Twitter @SWEET_H2020
EASO supports the position of UK ASO opposing discrimination against people with obesity.