The Georgian Association for the Study of Obesity and the National Institute of Endocrinology hosted an excellent EASO Obesity Management Task Force (OMTF) course in Tbilisi earlier this month. The organisers made a point of acknowledging that the course highlights European Obesity Day held this year on 21 May, 2016.
243 endocrinologists and bariatric surgeons from the capital city and regions across Georgia participated in the conference. Fourteen industry sponsors supported the course, including pharmaceutical companies and IDS Borjomi mineral water. In addition to pharmaceutical exhibitions, the EASO Healthy Hydration and Misconceptions of Obesity banners were translated and prominently displayed.
Several television journalists interviewed Dr. Ketevan Asatiani, the President of the Georgian Association for the Study of Obesity and invited speakers. The course was attended by many distinguished guests. The Deputy Minister of Health, Social Affairs and Labour welcomed participants to the conference. The president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, Professor Hermann Toplak welcomed participants to the event.
All aspects of this 21st century public health epidemic were covered in the OMTF sessions. The course included 6 presentations, covering the epidemiology of obesity, clinical evaluation of patients with obesity, lifestyle management tips, pharmacological, therapeutic and bariatric approaches to obesity treatment and post – bariatric patient follow-up. The audience, which included primarily qualified physicians, was highly professional. The group was collegial, interactive, motivated, and enthused to hear presentations from the experts and share professional knowledge and experience in the field of obesity. All were delighted to have Professors Hermann Toplak, Constantine Tsigos, Dragan Micic, Martin Fried, Volkan Yumuk and Assoc. Prof. Ketevan Asatiani as the course speakers.