Dear colleagues,

It is my honor, privilege and pleasure to welcome all of you to the XX. World Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) in Vienna, Austria.

My friend Karl (Charly) Miller wrote this welcome address as a president of IFSO 2011 for the XVI. World Congress in Hamburg. Since this very successful meeting in Germany the obesity epidemic has been showing still an unrestrained increase. Surprisingly, developing countries are not spared. Data from the WHO suggest that countries with a sedentary life style as well as those suffering from an evidently lower social status are showing a rapid flourish in the incidence of their morbidly obese citizens. This epidemic continuously pushes research institutes worldwide to find the optimal solution for this life-threatening state. However, surgery proved over the past decades to be the most effective solution, in terms of both weight loss and remission of obesity-associated debilitating diseases. Analysis of the currently existing data showed that by the start of the current decade, the yearly performance of bariatric procedures has been exceeding 300,000 procedures, performed by more than 8.000 surgeons worldwide. Long-term follow-up studies showed that the outcome of this type of surgeries exceeds and tends to be more durable compared to the conventional dietary and medical regimens.

The Federation IFSO is growing and 58 countries joining IFSO at the moment. The membership of surgeons is increasing worldwide. By means of 10 permanent committees IFSO will support the work of the bariatric surgeons worldwide. It is time for new guidelines, which will not focus on weight and BMI only. The name BARIATRIC SURGERY should be replaced by SURGERY for OBESITY and METABOLIC DISORDERS. Obesity is a disease and should be treated seriously like all other and for diabetics in most need of METABOLIC SURGERY.

The Congress President Karl Miller and the Austrian Society for Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders, the IFSO Scientific Committee and the Program Committee have planned an excellent scientific program, containing all parts of our field, including Postgraduate Courses and Live-Surgery.

Vienna is located in the heart of Europe and well-connected to the world, so that we can expect a high number of attendees.

I look forward to meeting you in Vienna, a wonderful place to visit and discover.

Warmest regards

Prof. Dr.med. Rudolf A. Weiner
President of IFSO