**6. Is there an imminent need for action?**

Obesity has become a serious, debilitating medical condition, which definitely needs imminent attention and an urged action plan, encompassing the entire world. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) was established already in 1996, in order to tackle the emerging global epidemic of obesity; however, the expected results have not been met, as defined some 20 years back.

The IOTF serves as a part of the IASO, the International Association for the Study of Obesity, being an organization representing some 45–50 national obesity associations worldwide. Its task force has been composed of top experts on obesity, as well as related disease states from all over the world, including countries like China, Japan, Chile, Australia, Brazil, the USA, Canada and Europe. IASO is an NGO when it comes to formal relations with WHO. However, the IOTF has been collaborating closely with the WHO and thus closely engaged with other international health organizations, for instance, the commonwealth, as well as national governments, in order to increase the awareness and aid in developing of solutions to reduce the spread of global obesity [8].

The IOTF initiative encompassing the prevention and management of obesity sets out to fulfil four major goals:


Then, the emerging question is what will come out of the effort put forward by the IOTF? A quick search on the net revealed the following answer or suggestion: http://www.hse.ie/eng/ health/child/healthyeating/taskforceonobesity.pdf

This report was written around 10–12 years ago, and some of the goals, set out to be reached, have been met. However, it seems that one of the world's most harmful epidemics, threatening the health of mankind, is hard to combat, and extraordinary and "ingenious" measures should be taken.
