On 10 July 2026, ECPO was represented by Solveig Sigurdardottir (Iceland) at the symposium “Culinary Medicine in Obesity Management: Reducing Weight Bias, Promoting Health,” hosted by Fundació Alícia and Hospital Clínic Barcelona.
The event brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, public health experts and people living with obesity to explore more compassionate and effective approaches to obesity care.
Solveig participated in the panel discussion on lived experience, where people living with obesity shared their experiences of navigating healthcare systems and highlighted the importance of respectful, person-centred care. The discussion reinforced that lived experience is an essential component of improving obesity care and should be considered alongside clinical expertise and scientific evidence.
Throughout the symposium, speakers emphasised that obesity is a complex, chronic disease influenced by biological, environmental, psychological and social factors. Sessions explored the impact of weight bias and stigma, the importance of multidisciplinary care, and the need for public health policies that create healthier environments and improve access to effective obesity care.
A practical culinary medicine workshop demonstrated how nutrition can be translated into everyday clinical practice. Participants explored the role of the Mediterranean diet in obesity management, strategies to optimise protein intake following bariatric surgery, culinary adaptations during GLP-1 treatment, and practical approaches to meal structure and satiety. The workshop highlighted how evidence-based nutrition and practical cooking skills can empower people living with obesity to make sustainable lifestyle changes while supporting long term health.
ECPO welcomes initiatives that actively include the voices of people living with obesity in discussions about healthcare, policy and research. Meaningful change can only be achieved when lived experience is recognised as an equal and valuable source of knowledge.
We sincerely thank the organisers, Fundació Alícia, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Bias 180 and all contributors, for creating a respectful environment where people living with obesity were invited to participate as partners in the conversation. Opportunities like these are essential to advancing equitable, evidence-based and compassionate obesity care across Europe.