Welcome to beautiful Balestrand!

The 2nd Balestrand obesity conference will take place on June 18th-20th 2014, by the incredibly scenic Sognefjord in Balestrand. This year’s theme is «The complexity of obesity: Scandinavian perspectives».

The 1st Balestrand obesity conference in 2012 was a success - here are some of the participants and organizers

The 1st Balestrand obesity conference in 2012 was a success – here are some of the participants and organizers outside Kviknes Hotel.

Learn how using complex systems approaches can bring together thinking from multiple disciplines and change the ways in which we conceptualise and tackle obesity. Sit ringside when world leading researchers discuss the latest from the frontiers of research. Take part in exciting discussions with speakers, participants, and colleagues. Present a poster.

Meet old friends and make new ones. Experience Balestrand – the pearl of the Sognefjord – at its vibrant and stimulating best.

New: Attending the conference is now accredited as 11 hours post graduate medical education for all specialties in Norway. Post graduate education accreditation for other groups is in progress.

This conference is needed because obesity is a complex issue, which doesn’t have simple solutions.

The aims of this conference are to shed light on:

  •             The complexity of obesity as a human and societal phenomenon
  •             The challenges of achieving successful prevention, health-promotion, and treatment strategies

A complex systems framework calls for a multi-level, multi-disciplinary, and multi-professional approach in research and practice.

Although there are some differences in their approaches to obesity, the Scandinavian nations share social democratic values that permeate the structures of their welfare societies and result in    much common ground. The conference will attempt to capture these shared and diverse ideas and approaches, and identify ways in which the Scandinavian response can be strengthened and shared more    widely. This will help improve the ways in which academics, practitioners and policymakers from around the world work and collaborate to address obesity and its consequences.

The conference combines oral plenary presentations by leading researchers, panel discussions, and poster presentations.

Read more at the conference homepage http://www.complexobesity.net/.

While learning from the best on complex health issues, take some time to also enjoy the beauty of the fjord and the mountains

While learning from the best on complex health issues, remember to also enjoy the beauty of the fjord, the mountains and the small town of Balestrand