World Obesity Federation announces China as host of ICO 2028

The World Obesity Federation has announced that the next International Congress on Obesity (ICO 2028) will be held in Beijing, China, in partnership with the China Obesity Federation.

The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of ICO 2026 in Mexico City on 17 July, bringing the curtain down on a congress that welcomed 2,622 delegates from 72 countries to the World Trade Center Mexico City. ICO 2028 will mark the first time the congress has been held in China, continuing a tradition, since the congress was first established in 1974, of bringing the world's leading obesity researchers, clinicians, policymakers and advocates together in a different region each cycle. ICO 2024 was held in São Paulo, Brazil, in partnership with the Associação Brasileira para o Estudo da Obesidade, and ICO 2026 was the first edition to take place in Mexico City, hosted alongside the Sociedad Mexicana de Obesidad.

The choice of Beijing reflects China's growing role in global obesity research and policy, as well as World Obesity's ongoing commitment to strengthening collaboration with member organisations across all regions. Further details on dates and the scientific programme for ICO 2028 will be confirmed in due course.