2021 in review: Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity (HMAO)

Founded in 1990, the Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity (HMAO) is a non-governmental scientific association, operating on a non-profit basis in Athens, Greece.

According to its Memorandum, HMAO aims to promote “the scientific research and study of obesity and the metabolic diseases in Greece” as well as “the scientific research in the field of healthy nutrition of the contemporary individual”.

HMAO’s members are from various areas of professional expertise, such as physicians, dieticians and other health professionals. Over the last thirty years, HMAO has organised numerous scientific and non-scientific events, which were crowned with great scientific and organisational success.

Aiming to provide knowledge on all basic issues related to physical examination, assessment, management, prevalence and treatment of obesity, as well as monitoring patients living with overweight and obesity, HMAO organised many scientific events in 2021 despite the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects. The most important events are listed below:

1. The 15th Pan-Hellenic Medical Congress on Obesity, online, 13^th-15^th May
2. A two-day Scientific Meeting-Workshop for physicians entitled ”Treatment of obesity and its complications in daily clinical practice“, held on 3^rd-5^th September, in person, with a limited number of participants.
3. Three webinars, two of which were in collaboration with the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Association:
   1. The first webinar, "Obesity: From Aetiology to Treatment", took place on the 24th of April, 2021, and was attended by 2,152 people.
   2. The second webinar, “Current Management of Obesity” took place on 20^th November and was attended by 1,109 participants.
   3. A webinar was held in collaboration with the Hellenic Thoracic Society on the major problem of sleep disorders entitled ”Οbesity and its relation to sleep disorders“, which took place on 1^st October, with great success.

It is the mission of HMAO to increase awareness of obesity and its effects, as well as to educate medical professionals on that topic. Therefore, HMAO has developed collaborations with scientific associations with related specialities and presented at their conferences.  HMAO participated in 14 Scientific Conferences with lectures, workshops and roundtables in 2021.

Currently, the Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity is planning the 16th Panhellenic Medical Conference on Obesity, to be held in Athens, Greece, on 17^th 19^th March 2022.