ECPO Patient Council Member Hana Vrabcova last week Hana attended the conference organised by the Slovak Society of General Practical Medicine on the Cardiovascular System and Obesity. We have asked Hana to blog about this and her experiences.
In the beautiful environment of the Low Tatras pod Chopkom, the conference Days of Practical Obesitology and Metabolic Syndrome with the motto “Cardiovascular system and obesity – a dangerous combination” was organised on July 16-18, 2020, organised by the Slovak Society of General Practical Medicine (SSVPL). Obesitology (SSPO) and the Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives (SKSaPA).
The event was interdisciplinary, more than 70 professional lectures and posters from renowned and foreign renowned experts were heard.
More than 240 participants from the ranks of doctors, nurses, public health professionals, physiotherapists, psychologists, scientists, social workers, students and patients from the civic associations League of Health and the Slovak Coalition of Overweight and People with Obesity (SKLON) took part.
In all lectures, one common problem was mentioned – obesity, the causes of its occurrence, the connection with other diseases and possible interventions and help for overweight and people with Obesity.
Hana, together with the lecturer of the Czech STOB (Stop Obesity) Petra Mocová, we organised a workshop of the STOB company with lectures on the topics “The importance of education in obesity prevention” and “How to communicate with the patient and motivate him to change”.
The event included an educational and very illustrative exhibition of sweets and beverages containing sugars, which I prepared and enjoyed the interest of the participants.
In my presentation, I explained the concept of prevention and education in obesity, prevention strategies within the EU, our prevention programs for EOD 2019 and WOD 2020 and introduced the stigma as an important challenge for EOD. I informed about the methodology of the company STOB in the courses of healthy weight loss and our experience. In conclusion, I described the current situation in the care of overweight and people with obesity in Slovakia and recommended possible solutions such as recognition of obesity as a chronic disease, development of recommended procedures in the treatment of obesity for general practitioners, adoption of the National Obesity Charter, specialized education of obesity health professionals and professional help for patients and other people with this problem.
Our common goal is to help overweight and patients with Obesity by participating in congresses where we can inform and share experiences with other professionals, gain ideas and new approaches in the treatment of obesity.
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