Dr. Nick Finer advocates for breaking barriers in obesity care during Willendorf Award speech

The Willendorf Award, introduced in 1980, honors outstanding clinically oriented research in the field of obesity. This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to the understanding and treatment of obesity through clinical research.

At the International Congress on Obesity 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil, the Willendorf Award was presented to Dr. Nick Finer in recognition of his lifelong dedication to advancing clinical obesity services and research. Dr. Finer’s work has been pivotal in improving evidence-based care and challenging the stigma associated with obesity, making him a deserving recipient of this esteemed award.

We are pleased to share Dr. Finer’s speech, in which he reflects on his achievements, the challenges ahead, and his vision for the future of obesity care.

After a lifetime of clinical and academic endeavour in advancing the understanding and treatment of obesity, it was a great honour to be awarded the Willendorf Prize at the International Congress on Obesity last week.

To join the ranks of illustrious previous prize awardees was remarkable recognition from my peers. I enjoyed the opportunity of the prize lecture to review some of my less well-known clinical research, thank my many colleagues and collaborators in supporting the development of clinical obesity services at district general and teaching hospitals in England which have been beacons for quality and evidence-based care, as well as reviewing the challenges - now seemingly increasingly being overcome - of developing safe and effective pharmacological treatments.

At the same time, it remains clear that people living with obesity face overwhelming challenges at accessing the care they need and deserve. Initiatives that I have helped develop such as the SCOPE educational programme, many guidelines and government reports will hopefully help break down the barriers which in part are driven by ignorance, stigma and prejudice.

Thank you once again to World Obesity for the honour and recognition.