The Imperative

The Obesity Prevention and Treatment Society (OPATS) was formed in early 2006 by clinicians working with obese people who recognized that traditional approaches to weight loss were having very limited success. Traditional, non-surgical weight loss strategies have 5 year success rates of typically less than 20%. More concerningly, research shows that after people lose weight, on average, they regain all that they lose plus another 15%. With over 50% of the population obese or overweight, the Society operates from the imperative of improving treatment outcomes. Of particular concern is the need to apply recent research to understanding the complexities of managing weight in families with young children.

OPATS was formed by clinicians from all health disciplines for clinicians working in the 'front line' of obesity management. As with other 'lifestyle' conditions, working with the obese population can be demoralising . Yet there are many experienced clinicians having great success with innovative approaches utilizing the latest developments in research and clinical practice. OPATS is the forum for the sharing of this clinical knowledge and the evidence base on which it rests.

The Second Tier

The first tier issue of educating people of the need to 'eat less fattening food and exercise more' has been widely disseminated. The Society recognises that many are now aware of this and the challenge is that of helping people with the second tier issue of lifestyle change i.e. 'why don't I eat and exercise in the healthy way I want to' and 'why do I sabotage my weight loss plans?' Central to the Society's approach is the recognition of obesity as primarily a complex psychophysiological condition overlayed by social and environmental factors. An effective solution will require the integrated expertise of health care professionals and public planners in developing a coordinated and united response.

The membership of the Society represents the clinical fields of Psychology, Gastric Surgery, Dietetics, Psychiatry, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Medicine & General Practice.

Our Goals 

The following extract from our Constitution outlines the goals of the Society:

"2.1 The objects for which the Society is established are:

(a) To inform: 

(i)  the general public 
(ii)  policy makers and 
(iii) health care professionals about the treatment, prevention and education of obesity with particular concern for children and their families.

(b) To raise awareness that obesity, at its core, is a complex psychological problem that is overlayed by physiological, social, cultural and environmental factors.

(c) To promote, review, integrate and ‘translate’ research that in turn promotes the Society’s capacity to improve intervention outcomes.”