International Obesity Collaborative

About the International Obesity Collaborative (IOC)

• The International Obesity Collaborative is a group of organizations with collective action and a shared vision of improving the world for people living with obesity.
• The IOC uses a consensus process to solve for gaps in obesity education and advocacy.
• IOC member organizations collaborate to develop consensus statements and evidence-based education about obesity to share around the globe.

IOC Statement on Body Mass Index (BMI)

 
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure used to screen for obesity that neither defines the disease nor replaces clinical judgment. Social determinants, race, ethnicity, and age can modify the risk associated with a given BMI. Successful obesity management should be measured by the health and quality-of-life goals established through shared decision making by the patient and their healthcare provider rather than changes in BMI alone.

Download a PDF version of the IOC Statement on Body Mass Index (BMI)

IOC Statement on Obesity Care vs. Weight Loss

 
Obesity care and weight loss are not the same.

Obesity care delivered by qualified clinicians consists of evidence-based options that address comorbidities of obesity (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.) and improve well-being. Obesity care is about health, not weight. Weight loss is just one outcome of obesity care.

Obesity is a serious, relapsing chronic disease that requires long term care, just like any other chronic disease. Safe and effective evidence-based obesity treatments that improve patient health are available.

Evidence-based treatments for obesity and severe obesity may include: nutrition and behavior modification, physical activity, medications, approved devices, and metabolic/bariatric surgery. In decisions shared with patients, clinicians utilize one or more of these modalities to treat obesity.

Globally, medical coverage limits access to effective obesity care, to the detriment of patient health. National statutes and medical insurance coverage have not kept pace with evidence and advances in clinical science. Like other serious chronic diseases, support for obesity care must be incorporated into national public health strategies and include standard benefits and coverage for obesity across the lifespan.

People with obesity deserve care, free from stigma and shame.

Download a PDF version of the IOC Statement on Obesity Care vs. Weight Loss

IOC Statement on Health Equity

 
The IOC Consensus Statement on Health Equity emphasizes the need for fair and just access to obesity care, recognizing obesity as a complex, chronic disease that requires comprehensive, compassionate, and equitable treatment. The statement calls on governments, healthcare professionals, researchers, and industry to address disparities by expanding care access, combating weight bias, improving clinical trial representation, and enhancing clinician education. Ultimately, it advocates for policy changes that support underserved communities and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health.

Download a PDF version of the IOC Statement on Health Equity

IOC Statement on Drug Compounding

 
People living with obesity deserve access to safe, effective, and evidence-based treatments to manage their condition and improve quality of life. While GLP-1-based medications have shown proven benefits and have been approved by regulators, issues like supply shortages and high costs limit access for many. The use of compounded alternatives is discouraged due to safety and efficacy concerns. To ensure equitable care, policy reforms are urgently needed to overcome these barriers and support the rights of individuals with obesity to receive standard, approved medical treatments.

Download a PDF version of the IOC Statement on Drug Compounding

5 Principles of Obesity

 
Obesity is a chronic disease impacting populations worldwide. People living with obesity face weight bias, stigma, discrimination, and challenges accessing empathetic evidenced-based healthcare. To ensure that obesity is treated with the same level of compassion and respect given to other chronic diseases, it is important that these five key principles are understood.

Download a PDF version of the IOC 5 Principles of Obesity