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PRESS RELEASE – Please
Note Embargo: May
29th 2003–1500 hours/BST–1700 hours Helsinki
Teleconference
number: +358 9824 85357 opens 1630 hours NEW
BID TO CONFRONT OBESITY EPIDEMIC IN EUROPE
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A major initiative to
tackle the growing epidemic of obesity with a campaign for improved
medical education and a new register of obesity expertise in Europe was
launched today. (May 30th 2003) At a conference of
experts in Helsinki, the International Obesity TaskForce, in collaboration
with the European Association for the Study of Obesity, unveiled an
ambitious new programme to provide formal recognition of obesity
specialists. The IOTF-SCOPE network will also provide online education for
GPs and nurses to improve their knowledge of how to deal with patients who
need weight management. The IOTF–SCOPE
programme (SCOPE stands for Specialist Certification of Obesity
Professional in Europe) will recognize and encourage high standards for
top rank obesity clinicians. To qualify as Fellows, the medical doctors
involved will have to fulfil specific criteria, including demonstrating
their involvement in research, academic publications and at least five years experience at
a senior level in the treatment of obese
patients. Some fellows along,
with other experts, will form core teams to provide an education network
to provide additional skills for primary care physicians, and other
specialists who may need focused training in obesity prevention and
management. GPs and others
who qualify through the continuing professional development courses will
be able to register as Members.
In addition, a new tier
of training is in the pipeline for health professionals ranging from
practice nurses, pharmacists and other related paramedics to become IOTF
SCOPE "Counsellors". This
third strand could eventually be extended to cover others including the
weight-management advisers in the private sector. The need for more rigorous
training and testing of non-medical advisers is under examination by the
IOTF-SCOPE steering group which aims to develop new options that will
tackle the "untrained and non-professional" sector, which currently
operates with no formal credentials or
expertise. IOTF chairman Prof
Philip James, who leads the steering group pioneering the new programme,
said few doctors received an appropriate degree of training in nutritional
health and weight management: "There is a desperate need for a better
informed medical profession both among specialists and general
practice. Eventually we hope
to extend the reach of this programme to include non-medical personnel as
well. " Prof Vojtech Hainer,
chair of the separate European Obesity Management Task Force which is
working in collaboration with IOTF, said a survey undertaken by the group
in 24 countries had found sparse provision for obesity treatment.
(See EASO background
paper – pdf file). "In some cases there is
only one specialist to cover 16 million people, and in the worst examples
there can be a ratio of 100,000 obese patients to one qualified expert
consultant. There is a massive problem throughout Europe and we recognize
we must act on this urgently, "
added Prof Hainer, head of an obesity specialist unit in Prague.
Prof Aila Rissanen, who
will chair the first training session for Helsinki GPs, said: "This is a
tremendous initiative and we are proud that this Congress, with the
support of the Finnish Association for the Study of Obesity, can be the
launch-pad for this important development. There is an urgent need for
better training in primary care and we can already see by the
pre-registration numbers that the demand for this will be enormous. "
Prof Peter Kopelman, incoming
President of EASO, who is one of the few specialists in obesity in the UK,
commented: "There is an urgent need to respond to the growing epidemic of
obesity. EASO
is supporting efforts to respond to the challenge in several ways.
"New
guidelines on obesity management in adults will shortly be available. EASO
is working closely with the IOTF on the SCOPE programme to improve the
recognition of obesity specialists across Europe and to commence a new
series of pan-European training programmes available to general
practitioners and more specialised physicians to enhance the quality of
obesity care, " he said. The prevalence of
obesity in Europe (see map) has risen dramatically in recent years,
doubling and trebling in some countries. The IOTF report Obesity in Europe highlighted a massive problem,
which is linked to consequential rising levels of type 2 diabetes, heart
diseases and some forms of cancer, as well as psycho-social problems,
osteo-arthritis and a range of other
co-morbidities. The first IOTF-SCOPE pilot
programme to train GPs will take place in Helsinki during the 12th
European Congress on Obesity
on May 31st at 11 am local time. * After undergoing a vetting
procedure involving national and European scrutineers, the first the SCOPE
Register of Fellows will be announced at the 13th European Congress on
Obesity in May 2004. The IOTF-SCOPE collaboration with
EASO has been made possible with the generous support of Abbott
Laboratories and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Notes to
editors:
Telephone: +358 9 1509
213 Telephone: + 358 9 1509
378 Fax: + 358 9 1509
378
·
The IOTF’s report
Obesity in Europe can be downloaded from: http://www.iotf.org/media/euobesity.pdf ·
A map illustrating obesity
rates in adults and children can be downloaded from http://www.iotf.org/media/maps.htm © International Obesity
TaskForce-SCOPE / Obesity Management Task Force of the European
Association for the Study of Obesity
IASO/IOTF/EASO 231
North Gower St London
NW1 2NS Contact
Neville Rigby - tel
+44 20 76911900 / mobile 44 7939 250347 Email :
neville.rigby@iotf.org
or nevillerigby@aol.com The International
Association for the Study of Obesity is registered as a charity in
England. Reg No 1076981
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