About Us - History

Established in 1986, EASO has 28 member associations covering more than 2500 members in 29 countries. Members come from a wide range of professions including clinicians, scientists, allied health professionals working in the field of obesity research and education, opinion leaders and advocacy groups, health related organisations, governments, policy makers, representatives of UN Bodies and the international community.

EASO aims to promote research into obesity, facilitate contact between individuals and organisations, and promote action that tackles the epidemic of obesity.

In 2001, EASO launched three task forces, one on Public Health and Prevention, one on Obesity Management and one on Childhood Obesity. The establishment of these task forces reflects the goals of EASO:

• Enhancing understanding and treatment of obesity across Europe
• Improving the quality of obesity education in Europe
• Developing a coherent approach to obesity management throughout Europe
• Forging European and global links between individuals and organisations concerned with the study of obesity
• Connecting active researchers from diverse disciplines who contribute to the development of a European perspective on obesity.
• Providing optimal input at the international level from this European perspective
  

In 2005, the General Council approved the Executive Committee's recommendation to incorporate EASO into an English charity.

The General Council also agreed to divide EASO into three regions, North, Middle and South, which would be represented by elected Regional Vice Presidents on the EASO Executive Committee.

European Congress on Obesity

The first European Congress on Obesity (ECO) took place in Stockholm in 1988. ECO now takes place on an annual basis and attracts thousands of international delegates.

Past ECOs

• 1988 - 1st - Stockholm - Sweden
• 1989 - 2nd - Oxford - England
• 1991 - 3rd - Nice - France
• 1992 - 4th  - Noordwijkerhout - The Netherlands
• 1993 - 5th - Ulm - Germany
• 1995 - 6th - Copenhagen - Denmark
• 1996 - 7th  - Barcelona - Spain
• 1997 - 8th - Dublin - Ireland
• 1999 - 9th  - Milan - Italy
• 2000 - 10th - Antwerp - Belgium
• 2001 - 11th - Vienna - Austria
• 2003 - 12th - Helsinki - Finland
• 2004 - 13th - Prague - Czech Republic
• 2005 - 14th - Athens - Greece
• 2007 - 15th - Budapest - Hungary

• 2008 - 16th - Geneva - Switzerland

Future ECOs

• 2009 - 17th - Amsterdam - The Netherlands
• 2011 - 18th - Istanbul - Turkey

Secretariat

EASO has experienced growth in membership, activities and conference attendance in recent years and has now reached a position where it seemed appropriate to consider establishing a permanent secretariat, to allow EASO:

• To optimise the potential for revenue generation through internal and external activities.
• To provide members with high quality education, meeting and communication services.
  

It was therefore agreed to commission services from the IASO secretariat from May 2003, to enable EASO to develop in as an efficient and effective a manner as possible, whilst maintaining EASO's autonomy.

From 2007 onwards, the EASO secretariat will be responsible for organizing the following areas for future European Congresses of Obesity:

• Registration of Delegates
• Abstract Processing
• Sponsor Relationship Management
• Central Coordination of Sub Contractors for eg accommodation, exhibition management and social programme
• Servicing the Scientific Programme, Local Organising and Finance Committees
  

European Association for the Study of Obesity
231 North Gower Street
London NW1 2NR
United Kingdom
Tel:     +44 (0) 20 7691 1900
Fax:    +44 (0) 20 7387 6033
Email: enquiries@easo.org