Welcoming new members from Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica and Slovakia
World Obesity is delighted to welcome five new organisations to its membership, as well as the upgrade of an existing member to Full Member status.
Each organisation represents different perspectives in fields of obesity research, endocrinology, diabetology, community medicine and more. Linking them all is a commitment towards a high standard of research and care into obesity and related comorbidities.
As ever, it was pleasing to see organisations joining us from previously unrepresented countries.
In Bahrain, a country with particularly elevated rates of obesity (data shows more than 70% of the Bahraini population living with overweight or obesity1), the Bahrain Diabetes Association (BDA) was successful in its application.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Endocrinology Society (BES) was also approved as a new member, with a remit of increasing obesity research capacity within Bangladesh, a nation which is grappling with rapidly increasing childhood obesity prevalence, according to the 2023 World Obesity Atlas2.
The China Obesity Federation (COF) also joined us this month. COF was formally launched in March 2024 with a goal of enhancing public awareness of healthy weight loss and standardising and improving obesity education within China.
The Costa Rican Association of Metabolism (ACOMET), an organisation with a wide-ranging mission and constituted by leading healthcare professionals in Costa Rica, has also joined us, building our existing coalition in Central America.
In Europe, the well-established Slovak Obesity Association joins alongside our existing member in Slovakia to strengthen obesity education and care within that nation.
As we continue our mandate to represent the worldwide obesity community and the challenges faced in each country, let's find out a bit more about our new members.
1 Bahrain | World Obesity Federation Global Obesity Observatory
2 World Obesity Atlas 2023 Report
More about our new members:
Bahrain Diabetes Society (BDS) was established in 1989 with a mission to raise awareness and prevent diabetes and its complications among the Bahraini community. Commenting on the importance of addressing obesity, the Society’s president, Lt. Gen. Dr Shaikh Mohamed Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, highlighted: “We firmly believe that obesity poses a significant threat to our societies, increasing the risk of developing prediabetes, diabetes and various metabolic, cardiovascular and systemic disorders”.
Among the initiatives undertaken by the society is the publication of the Bahrain Obesity Briefing Book, an ‘Obesity Academy’ of courses for healthcare providers, as well as the facilitation of grants to encourage healthcare professionals to carry out SCOPE obesity education.
We look forward to increasing collaboration between our institutions on education and more, including via the fledgling MENA Association of Obesity. BDS joins as a Full Member of World Obesity.
Visit website: https://linktr.ee/bahrain.diabetes.society
Obesity and childhood obesity rates are increasing in Bangladesh, with incidence showing major gulfs between elevated female prevalence rates and lower rates among males.3
In this context, the Bangladesh Endocrine Society (BES) exists to develop awareness into obesity and develop capacity within the fields of endocrinology and diabetes in the country. BES is a non-government, non-profit, non-political, and voluntary organisation and is dedicated to advancing research, education, and advocacy efforts in the field of obesity and related metabolic disorders.
BES President, Prof. Muhammad Hafizur Rahman, recently commented on the prospect of joining World Obesity: “We believe that our partnership will not only strengthen our capacity to combat obesity within Bangladesh but also facilitate valuable exchanges of expertise and best practices on a global scale.” BES joins as an Associate Member.
Visit website: bes.org.bd
3 Bangladesh | World Obesity Federation Global Obesity Observatory
Launched earlier this year, the China Obesity Federation (COF) has a mission to foster professional training, scientific research and healthcare through multidisciplinary integration. Its goals are multiple; from developing obesity surveillance tools to track trends and intervention outcomes, to creating evidence-based obesity medicine practices, establishing obesity care standards, formulating educational materials, and collaborating with a range of institutions for developing medical products for the patient with obesity.
Upon joining World Obesity, Zhongtao Zhang MD PhD, President of the China Obesity Federation, commented on the importance of collaboration: “We recognize the importance of being part of a global community such as the World Obesity Federation”.
As a country of 1.4 billion people, China now has the largest number of people living with overweight and obesity worldwide, and we will aim to support our colleagues in China. COF joins as an Associate Member of World Obesity.
The Costa Rican Association of Metabolism (ACOMET) is comprised of health professionals working in the study, training, and research of obesity and its associated diseases.
ACOMET looks to promote positive health among Costa Ricans, in a population in which more than 60% of adults and more than 30% of children are living with overweight or obesity4. Furthermore, the Association seeks to train healthcare and other professionals that have a role in the prevention and management of obesity and its complications, as well as promoting public policies that tackle this health issue in Costa Rica and collaborating with other sectors and institutions.
ACOMET president Dr Mauricio Barahona, commented on the need for collaboration: “It is in our interest to join the World Obesity Federation to work together for the well-being of people living with obesity and to delve into the roots that lead to the development of obesity.” ACOMET joins as an Associate Member.
Contact: drbarahona@icometcr.com
The Slovak Obesity Association (SOA) fosters approaches that improve the medical attention given to patients with overweight and obesity. SOA also aims to boost the competencies of health care providers and other specialists, as part of the requirement for complex multidisciplinary care needed to address obesity.
Through its membership of World Obesity, SOA’s members will be seeking to benefit from continuous education for professionals and medical students, exchanges in scientific obesity research, support for projects and activities, and more.
SOA joins World Obesity as a Full Member.
Visit website: https://www.obesitas.sk/
Upgrading to Full Member
Elsewhere, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS), a faith-based healthcare network with over 70 facilities across Cameroon, has been successful in its application for Full Membership of World Obesity.
CBCHS has a dedicated NCD program that carries out regular screenings of the population and warns of obesity and related conditions. Through its staff and volunteers, CBCHS has been heavily involved in World Obesity Day and many of our initiatives, and we are pleased to welcome CBCHS as Full Members.
Visit website: https://cbchealthservices.org/
Find out more about membership
To enquire about joining World Obesity as a Full or Associate member, please email membership@worldobesity.org.
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