The Italian Obesity Society (Società Italiana dell’Obesità – SIO) is pleased to have launched her inaugural Obesity School this year, providing training, education, networking and collegial support to people in the field, reports EASO OMTF co-chair Luca Busetto.
The school, held in December 2019, was open to all medical members of SIO and is supported by a grant from the Society. The School includes both a three day residential course and a week-long experience in one of the Italian Centres of Excellence in Obesity Management which is part of the SIO Network.
The first residential course was recently held in Convitto della Calza, in Florence, in December 5-7. Leaders of SIO hosted 40 participants, mostly young colleagues — New Investigators — and a panel of national speakers. The programme covered both basic science and clinical aspects of obesity, with a particular emphasis on obesity management. Dr Busetto says “The meeting was very successful, with a lot of interaction and open discussion in a fascinating location in the old centre of Florence. SIO will begin to organise the practical training in the New Year and hope to have this first years’ course concluded before the National Congress in 2020.
We designed the programme and structure of our School by taking inspiration from the very successful TTT and COMs Exchange programmes led by EASO. We hope to hold our national initiative regularly during the next several years, extending participation to other HCPs as well. We strongly believe this could be an important initiative in supporting further consolidation of obesity management in Italy; the course will be a part of the certification pathway that SIO is creating for Italian Obesity Specialists.” Please find the full programme here: