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On behalf of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) it is a great honour and pleasure for the German Society for the Surgery of Obesity to invite you to the XVI. Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) in Hamburg .
During the congress we will offer you basic and advanced courses, solid presentations of leading experts, lectures, posters and video sessions, consensus meetings and a highly professional exhibition of valuable companies specialized in the field of bariatric surgery.
At the other end of the malnutrition scale obesity is one of today's most blatantly visible - yet most neglected - public health problems. Paradoxically coexisting with under nutrition, an escalating global epidemic of overweight and obesity - "globesity" - is taking over many parts of the world. If no immediate action is taken, millions will suffer from an array of serious health disorders.
Obesity is a complex condition, one with serious social and psychological dimensions that affects virtually all age and socioeconomic groups and threatens to overwhelm both developed and developing countries. In 1995 there were an estimated 200 million obese adults worldwide and another 18 million children under the age of five that were classified as overweight. As of 2000 the number of obese adults has increased to over 300 million. Contrary to conventional wisdom the obesity epidemic is not restricted to industrialized societies. In developing countries it is estimated that over 115 million people suffer from obesity-related problems.
As we know bariatric surgery is the only effective strategy to treat severely obese patients. Obesity treatment should be individually tailored and all the crucial factors should be taken into account: sex, the degree of obesity, individual health risks, psycho-behavioural and metabolic characteristics. The new insights currently beginning to be gained by studying surgical interventions for diabetes may be the most profound since the discovery of insulin opening the field of metabolic surgery. In the future, an evaluation of hormonal and genetic determinants of weight loss could also contribute to a better choice of individual therapy for a particular obese patient. Therefore a multilevel obesity management network of mutually collaborating facilities should be established to provide individually tailored treatment. Centres of excellence in obesity management represented by multidisciplinary teams should provide comprehensive programmes for the treatment of obesity derived from evidence-based medicine.
Apart from sharing information and experience in surgical treatment of morbid obesity, you will find Hamburg a wonderful place to visit. With 1.8 million inhabitants it is the second largest city in Germany and offers extraordinary features to its guests. With its reputation as being the "gate to the world", Hamburg offers arts and culture at its finest, superior and entertaining theatre, excellent restaurants, exquisite shopping facilities, exciting night life and many historical landmarks due to its 1,200 year old historical background. Everybody who has visited Hamburg is enthusiastic about its flair and maritime charms. Whether the Elbe river, lake Alster, the "Port City", the ancient storehouse city, fish market or "Reeperbahn" - something new can be discovered, experienced and marvelled every day. Crossing the Elbe river to Lower Saxony takes you to the fruit farmers in the "Old Country" - the largest joined European fruit producing area. Freshly harvested fruit and thatched farm houses, wide dyke landscapes and the picturesque villages, Buxtehude and Stade, invite you to discover them. The Hanseatic city, Lübeck, located north of Hamburg , is famous for the "Holstentor", the Buddenbrook family and "Niederegger Marzipan". Hamburg , which was declared a World Heritage site by the UNESCO, is a living memorial of rich merchants, a cultural centre and a modern university city at the same time. Outside the gates the Baltic Sea and beaches of Travemünde are popular recreational sites. South of Hamburg, in the salt city Lüneburg, the Middle Ages come alive again: ancient lanes and houses, the historic town hall and the "Stintmarkt" (fish market) give an impression of the roots of the culture of northern Germany and the history of salt trade. But what makes Hamburg really special is a certain attitude towards life - but this is what you have to find out for yourself!
We are looking forward to welcoming you to our fascinating city and wish you an exciting and memorable time!
With warm regards
Professor Dr. Rudolf A. Weiner
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