The taskforce's new secretariat, now firmly established in London, has an expanding portfolio of projects covering in literally the four corners of the globe.

Commonwealth ministers were recently briefed in Geneva on the preparations for two key workshops to highlight the need for obesity prevention and management policies. Dr Naomi Rees, (see panel) with her substantial experience of the Caribbean, is working on the first pilot workshop likely to be staged in Barbados later in the year. Welcome support for this venture has already been expressed by the Pan American Health Organization. 

Dr Tim Gill, who returned to Australia taking up a joint role with the Australasian Association for the Study of Obesity, is now coordinating the IOTF's growing activities in Asia and the Pacific region; he is also masterminding the second Commonwealth workshop, with WHO Western Pacific Region support, now scheduled for early next year.

Asia has been a particular focus of interest since the IOTF workshop in Milan last year which brought together experts from across the Far East. As Prof Philip James noted in his chairman's letter, with China's 1.2 billion population facing a rapidly escalating problem, talks are underway on how the IOTF's role in Asia can help to encourage action on preventing obesity. 

The publication of an important  new document, co-sponsored by WHO's Western Pacific Region, IASO and the IOTF, which aims to redefine obesity from the Asian perspective, attracted headlines after its press launch in Hong Kong in February.  (See opposite page)

In Latin America the Rio de Janeiro obesity summit conference in June heralds another significant milestone in the continuing efforts to help governments face the double burden of malnutrition and obesity which threatens large parts of the population. Great efforts have been made by the Federation of Latin American Associations for the Study of Obesity to ensure this will be attract much attention by declaring an International Obesity Day. 

Viewing the video recording of the Milan events produced by Prof Michele Carruba, president of the 9th ECO, it was clear that this was a defining moment in the annals of the European associations.

Rachel Jackson-Leach, who joined the IOTF's policy team,  has been looking closely, with colleague Dr Naomi Rees, at the range of data to help develop a new analysis of the obesity problem in Europe. The Yugoslav Association, now fully fledged members of IASO, has shown remarkable enthusiasm to join in the spirit of the Milan Initiative which they signed up to even though they were unable to travel to the last congress. Dr Jagoda Jorga's article demonstrates what initiatives can be achieved even in the face of obvious adversities.

With the next European congress in Antwerp enjoying the royal patronage of Belgium's Princess Mathilde, ECO10 promises to be a very special event where it will be important to focus closely on what steps should now be taken. The taskforce is committed to supporting all associations in joining in the global initiative to raise awareness and work together towards a formal declaratio n by the time of the next International Congress on Obesity in Sao Paulo in 2002.

- Neville Rigby                                                                                         

Dr Naomi Rees joined the Taskforce in January as senior policy officer after 10 years working for the British government in the joint Food Safety and Standards Group of the food and health ministries. 

Born in West Africa, she lived for 26 years in developing countries. She undertook her doctorate in nutrition in Jamaica studying the impact of health and socioeconomic factors on school achievement by poor children, with Prof Sally Grantham-McGregor at the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit (TMRU).

She was an invited expert to the EU scientific committee on food working group on dietary exposure and intake and was a member of the UK delegation to the UN Codex committee on food additives and contaminants. She was seconded to the World Health Organization (WHO) to organize the FAO/WHO consultation on food consumption and exposure assessment of chemicals. Her book, International Control of Food Safety, has just been published in the UK.

She is at present coordinating Taskforce plans for a Caribbean obesity prevention workshop and will be closely involved in a range of IOTF initiatives.

Mrs Rachel Jackson-Leach has been appointed policy officer. She  has a MSc in Nutrition and worked as a nutritionist before joining the Taskforce.

On the move

Professor Paul Trayhurn is moving from the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, to take up a post as Professor of Medicine (Nutritional Biology) in the Institute of Nutrition Research at the University of Oslo, Norway. The Institute of Nutrition Research, which is part of the Faculty of Medicine at Oslo, is a distinguished centre for nutritional science with a long tradition of excellence. Set-up funds for his research programme are being provided by the Throne Holst's Foundation and he expects to expand his existing interests in adipose tissue biology, leptin and thermogenesis. There are already extensive obesity interests in the Institute of Nutrition Research through Professor Christian Drevon and his group. Paul expects to join the small but active Norwegian Association for the Study of Obesity and help develop further its international profile.

Paul will be maintaining his international commitments from Oslo, including chair of the IASO awards committee and editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Nutrition (the first Editor-in-Chief of the journal to be located outside the UK). His move is in part a reflection of the high priority now accorded to internationalisation by the University of Oslo. As an Englishman of the southern variety, he knows that Aberdeen is nearer to Norway than to London, and that the flying time to London is little different from Oslo or Aberdeen!