Membership: Eight countries joined since 1994: South Africa, Greece, The Philippines, South Korea, Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Finland and Malaysia. Italy and Poland, each with two associations, have been advised to form joint groups to seek IASO membership. The committee is to consider requiring associations to have a minimum of 50 members.

Secretary's workload: Arne Astrup warned of the increasing burden on the secretary, made harder by some associations failing to update information on changes of officers, addresses and telephone numbers.

Treasurer's Report: The council agreed to a recommendation to set aside $5,000 to deal with requests for fee waivers from East European members. 

Publications: IJO is producing annual royalties of around £25,000. 

IOTF: Philip James reported that the IOTF has restructured to meet the requirements for recognition from WHO.

ICO: Bernard Guy-Grand reported that 3,000 delegates took part in the 8^th ICO..George Bray was made liaison officer to resolve out-standing issues regarding the transfer of funds from the 7^th ICO at Toronto in 1994. The council ratified the selection of Sao Paulo as the location for the 9^th ICO in 2002, and agreed that in future the site selection committee would begin choosing the venue five to six years in advance of the event allowing council to make the selection at the preceding congress. 

Next meeting: The 10^th European Congress on Obesity, Antwerp, Belgium. May 24-27, 2000.

Report of the IASO Executive Committee meeting held in Indianapolis in February

Committees: Publications has been constituted: Ian Caterson (Chairman), Michele Carruba, Monica Katz, Wim Saris, Jacob Seidell. Another member, preferably from North America, remains to be appointed. Site Selection: George Bray has agreed to take the chair. Finance: Vice-President Jacob Seidell elected to the chair. Other members of these and the Awards Committee are to be considered by the President.

Funding: The Treasurer reported that US$ 12,707 had been received from ICO94 in Toronto. Receipts from ICO98 in Paris may exceed US$100,000. The President informed the Committee of new donations totalling approximately US$ 150,000. 

Travel expenses: The committee agreed to ensure close control over members' travel expenses, with meetings held in conjunction with major congresses, to minimise costs. Vice-Presidents should seek support from regional associations before approaching IASO which must approve before bookings are made. Only the cheapest possible fare can be covered. The attendance of congress chairs is to be covered by ICO finances. 

Membership issues: The Treasurer reported some association membership was at variance to the dues paid, a problem also experienced by EASO. A stricter system, co-ordinated with EASO, is to be considered for all member bodies. Associations will be required to submit full address lists of all individual members to enable IASO to distribute the Newsletter, and other information, directly to individual members in the future. 

The committee agreed to waive dues for the Czech Republic association on economic grounds. Future invoices will be told when invoiced mention the possibility of fee waivers in case of difficulties.

Two Italian associations eligible for membership of IASO have formed a collaborative umbrella organization, which will be given membership of IASO.

ICO Satellite symposia: The committee ruled it cannot assist with financial deficits for the satellite meetings in Maastricht and Venice. IASO will not become financially involved in any future ICO satellites, but would develop administration guidelines. The committee ruled IASO related meetings should not involve payment of honoraria to organizing officers. 

9^th ICO: The President-elect reported on the setting up scientific committee and track system for the next congress in Sao Paulo. It was agreed that the new IASO Secretariat could play an important role in organizing various tasks for the congress, where five different satellite meetings are planned.

IOTF: The President and the President-Elect of IASO have been invited to become ex-officio members of the IOTF Steering Group. The committee agreed that the IOTF should be fully incorporated into IASO, and with the Treasurer having oversight of IOTF budgets and accounts.

IASO secretariat: The committee agreed a proposal from the President and Secretary, supported by Vice-President James Hill, that an IASO Secretariat should be set up in London, which could incorporate the IOTF Secretariat with IASO funding a further position if necessary. The IOTF secretariat in Aberdeen should administer IASO affairs in the interim. EASO may collaborate with the planned secretariat in London.

Executive Directoe: A selection committee comprising Philip James, David York, Stephan Rössner, Jacob Seidell, James Hill, is to seek an executive director to run the London office, with a recommendation to be made to the executive committee in Milan in June.

Communications: The committee welcomed the new IASO Website developed by IOTF communications director Neville Rigby who will produce the IASO newsletter.

New Publication: Arrangements for the new IASO journal Obesity Review are being finalised by the publications committee chair Ian Caterson, before the post of Editor-in-Chief is formally announced.

Next meeting: June 6 at 2pm during the 9th ECO. Further meeting November at NAASO annual meeting in Charleston.