History of ASO

The Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) is the UK's foremost organisation dedicated to the understanding, prevention and treatment of obesity. Founded in 1967 as the “Obesity Association”, under the chairmanship of Ian Mclean Baird to promote obesity research in the UK. ASO was the first such organisation worldwide and began to meet regularly at the Royal Society of Medicine.

The first Symposium on Obesity was held in London the following year, the earliest known conference devoted exclusively to obesity. The ASO organised the inaugural International Congress on Obesity (ICO), held in London in 1974, under the leadership of Alan Howard and George Bray. The ASO was also the founding body of the highly esteemed International Journal of Obesity, first published in 1977.

Since this time, European (EASO) and International (World Obesity Federation) Associations for the Study of Obesity have been founded and ASO is a member of both. Members of ASO benefit from automatic membership of EASO and WOF.

Read about the early years of the ASO presented by Dr Margaret Ashwell OBE during the ASO 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at the 4th UK Congress on Obesity 2017 that took place the University of South Wales.