Following a long hiatus due to COVID-19, it was wonderful to bring organisations and leaders together in Izmir. The 11th Turkish Association for the Study of Obesity (TASO) National Obesity Congress was held in Izmir, 3-6 March 2022 and included a World Obesity Day Europe discussion.
The conference was well attended and was timed to coincide with World Obesity Day. The goal of the conference was to help support a variety of specialised doctors and medical professionals working across the field of obesity — therapists, and counsellors, cardiologists, endocrinologists, dietitians, nutritionists, and physiotherapists. The congress presentations and materials presented will better enable these specialists to provide assistance and support to people who are struggling with their weight and / or obesity.
The meeting started with an Collaborating Centre for Obesity Management (COMs) teaching course for HCPs in primary care. Professor Jason Halford, current President of EASO, spoke at the meeting on behalf of World Obesity Day Europe. Seventy Turkish faculty members presented or chaired congress sessions; 250 HCPs joined the congress over four days. Guest leaders joined from across Europe; Arne Astrup, Arya Sharma and Ximena Ramos Salas spoke at the meeting.
For World Obesity Day Europe, TASO held a specialised press conference and training session on weight stigma and discrimination, which was delivered to a group of healthcare reporters under the umbrella “My role is weighty,” an initiative of TASO. The National Congress also hosted a policy session among governmental and non-governmental organizations in conjunction with industry partners.
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