On Friday, November 11, 2022, in the main auditorium of Sótero del Río Hospital in Santiago, Chile, the official launch of the first clinical practice guide for the management of adult obesity in Chile took place. The event was attended by authors and chapter reviewers of the guide, representatives of the Intersocietal Committee, members of the Chilean Coalition for the Study of Obesity, the coordinator of the development of the Canadian guide and Director of Research and Policies at Obesity Canada, Dr. Ximena Ramos Salas, and the delegate from the Canadian Embassy in Chile, Daphné Dubois, as well as part of the team from the Epistemonikos Foundation, which provided methodological services for the development of the new guide.

Despite the fact that the prevalence of obesity in Chile is one of the highest in the world, at 34.4% in the population aged 15 and over according to the latest National Health Survey (2016-2017), the system did not have a clinical practice guide for the treatment of obesity in adults. Globally, the prevalence of obesity has steadily increased over the last 30 years and is undeniably a public health problem that not only negatively impacts the physical and psychological health of individuals but also healthcare costs.

The process of developing a clinical practice guide (CPG) for adult obesity in Chile involved 58 professionals, with members of the CCEO participating in the writing of chapters, as well as in the review and adaptation of the guide summary presented in this article. Unprecedentedly, an Intersocietal Committee was formed, including the Chilean Association of Clinical Nutrition, Obesity and Metabolism, the Chilean Society of Family Medicine, the Chilean Society of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery, the Chilean Society of Nutrition, the Chilean Society of Sleep Medicine, and the Chilean Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Professionals from different societies participated as chapter authors and/or external reviewers.

The new guide is aimed at healthcare professionals in Chile, especially those in primary care, as well as individuals living with obesity, their families, and decision-makers involved in the management and administration of resources for obesity care.

Some photographs from the event: