Date:
Location:
The scientific meeting of global experts on obesity was held on November 3 and 4, 2018 at the Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health Delivery–Dubai in Dubai, UAE. The aim of the meeting was to define an obesity treatment roadmap for adoption by public health sectors around the world. The Center convened obesity experts from the United States, the Middle East and the neighboring regions, in addition to invited public officials, policymakers, educators, and researchers. At the meeting, it was determined that an evidence-based obesity treatment roadmap can provide the public health sector with the guidelines, strategies, milestones, and performance indicators needed to mainstream obesity management effectively within the health care system. Adoption of such a roadmap would be highly impactful and likely accelerated in health care systems undergoing transformation such as the dynamic public health systems of the Middle East.
Objectives of the Meeting
- To establish a common conceptual and functional understanding of the complex biological underpinnings of obesity and its relevance to the shaping of public health policies
- To detail and prioritize the specific steps and health care policies necessary to yield a substantial decrease in the rates of obesity in the Middle East
- To outline relevant barriers to effective obesity prevention and treatment in the region and potential strategies to reduce those barriers
- To develop an evidence-based practical roadmap for obesity prevention and treatment in the region that reflects the most up-to-date understanding of obesity, recent clinical advances and best practices, and the specific character, challenges and opportunities within the gulf region
Number of Participants: 59
Number of Countries: 11
Countries Represented: Canada, Egypt, Ireland, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America