Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. November 3, 2023: The UAE Obesity Conference is returning to Abu Dhabi for its fifth edition from 4 to 5 November, with a comprehensive agenda to educate the medical community on the burdening lifestyle disease that is obesity. The two-day conference features senior health professionals from the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), and the M42 network, the Abu Dhabi-based, global tech-enabled healthcare company. 

 

Endorsed by the ADPHC and the World Obesity Federation, a global organisation focused on the prevention and treatment of obesity, the UAE Obesity Conference is the foremost obesity-related meeting in the region. Gathering in Abu Dhabi, experts will evaluate existing preventive and treatment strategies, under the theme ‘What can we do better in obesity management?”.

 

Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Dr. Omniyat Al Hajeri, Executive Director of the Community Health Sector at the ADPHC, said: “Obesity is one of the most pressing health challenges across the globe, and recent statistics by the World Health Organization show that more than 2.8 million people die as a result of excess body mass and its complications. Tackling this situation head-on calls for knowledge sharing by leading medical experts and health professionals, with an aim to pave the way for the science-backed methodologies that help prevent and manage this growing health concern. We are therefore proud to support the fifth UAE Obesity Conference, which will facilitate productive discussions among some of the leading minds in the field and empower qualified physicians to better support their patients using the latest innovations and research, and in accordance with international best practices and guidelines.

 

“Given the UAE’s proactive stance at tackling disease, we also call on community members to adopt healthier lifestyles, including a balanced diet and adequate levels of physical activity, in order to protect their own wellbeing. Obesity is a challenge we can indeed overcome, especially if each of us remains committed and conscious.”

 

M42 experts, Dr. Sara Suliman, Consultant Endocrinologist, Diabetologist, Obesity Physician and Clinical Lead for Obesity and Bariatrics at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, and Dr. Mohammed Al Hadad, Consultant Bariatric Surgeon and Head of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at Healthpoint, are once again set to co-chair the event. 

 

Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and Healthpoint run a joint Obesity, Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Centre that provides comprehensive, world-class care to patients with obesity. A significant number of the multidisciplinary obesity and bariatric team holds a SCOPE (Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education) certification from the World Obesity Federation. 

 

“Imperial College London Diabetes Centre has at the forefront of tackling the epidemic of obesity, and we believe strongly in early intervention and multidisciplinary care that halts disease progression. The UAE Obesity Conference allows us to connect pioneering global healthcare specialists with the local medical community to acquire knowledge and tools to apply in their own practice. This year, we will pay special attention to what strategies deserve a second look, in keeping with our theme of what we can do better in obesity management,” said Dr. Sara Suliman, Consultant Endocrinologist, Diabetologist, Obesity Physician and Clinical Lead for Obesity and Bariatrics at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre.

 

Highlighting the latest guidelines on obesity management, Dr Mohammed Al Hadad, Consultant Bariatric Surgeon and Head of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at Healthpoint, said: “Healthpoint has always been keen to share information around best practices to help improve treatment outcomes in patients with obesity across the UAE and the region. Conferences as such play a crucial role in helping to do so. In this year’s edition, we are focused on shedding light on updated guidelines for weight management surgery, and facilitating critical conversations around non-surgical ways to tackle the disease.”

 

The first day of the conference will see Professor Carel Le Roux, part of the Clinical Care Committee at the World Obesity Federation’s Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education (SCOPE) and Professor of Chemical Pathology at the University College of Dublin, analysing existing methodologies for the treatment and management of obesity as a disease.

 

Dr. Buthaina Abdulla Bin Belaila, Head of Non-Communicable Diseases at the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, and H.E. Dr. Omniyat Al Hajeri, Executive Director of the Community Health Sector at the ADPHC, will shed light on existing initiatives to combat obesity within the UAE, and how these can be enhanced to better serve the community. Leading speakers will also tackle the rise of adolescent obesity, the use of personalized medicine to support patients, and the effectiveness and possible improvements to bariatric surgery.

 

Among other noted speakers at the UAE Obesity Conference are Professor Donna Ryan, former President of the World Obesity Federation and Professor Emerita at Pennington Biomedical Research Institute in the United States; Dr. Ebaa Al Ozairi from Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait; Alexander Miras, Professor of Endocrinology at the Ulster University in Northern Ireland; Dr. Nasreen Alfaris from King Fahad Medical City in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and Matthew Kroh, Vice Chair for Innovation and Technology at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States.

 

The UAE Obesity Conference will be held at the Dusit Thani, Abu Dhabi. Registration is now open through the website, with early bird discounts available for participants.