World Digestive Health Day WDHD – May 29, 2016 MESSAGE FROM THE WGO PRESIDENTELECT AND CHAIR OF THE WGO FOUNDATION AND THE VICE CHAIR OF THE WGO FOUNDATION World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) represents a very successful initiative of the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) with the aim of raising awareness of important gastrointestinal problems. This initiative started 11 years ago when WDHD 2005 was devoted to “Health and Nutrition.” Since then WDHD is celebrated every year on May 29. What started as a one day event has now developed into a full year long campaign. As might be expected, the target of WDHD are not only health care professionals but also the general public. We aim to put into perspective several aspects related to the WDHD topic, from prevalence to diagnosis, prevention, and management. The WGO embodies the optimal platform for the WDHD with its outreach to over 100 countries through its Member Societies. We are happy to say that WDHD campaigns in the past have captured the interest of not only our member societies, but also governmental or non-governmental organizations and the biomedical industry. This broad range of interest has helped enormously for us to reach our goals of promoting WDHD and raising awareness of the topic selected. This year’s topic is of very special interest to the general public and to our patients and is entitled “Diet and the Gut.” Probably one of the main questions patients are seeking to ask their doctor, and especially their gastroenterologist or hepatologist, everywhere around the world is what they should and should not eat. It is fair to say that while the patient may see a gastroenterologist as THE expert to whom this question should be asked, many gastroenterologists do not like this question and may not consider themselves an expert on diet. Thus, for many gastroenterologists, the handbook prepared by David Sanders and Govind Makharia and their team will give a happy sigh of relief! While some of the topics covered in this handbook will be more or less familiar, some topics will be new or cover issues which they have long overlooked but now have the opportunity to read in compact reviews by world experts in the field. The topics such as “food-induced symptoms,” “food supplements,” “Global perspective on food allergies,” and Food allergy and eosinophilic esophagitis” are good examples. This handbook covers, beyond what has been already mentioned, other very interesting topics. On behalf of the WGO Foundation, we congratulate Professors Govind Makharia and David Sanders, the 2016 Steering Committee, fellow authors, partners, and supporters on this wonderful work which we hope you will not only enjoy but find helpful in CIHAN YURDAYDIN, MD WGO President-Elect and Chair of the WGO Foundation Ankara, Turkey RICHARD HUNT, FRCP, FRCPED, FRCPC, MACG, AGAF, MWGO Vice Chair of the WGO Foundation Beaconsfield, Bucks, UK your daily practice. Sincerely, 6 WGO Handbook on DIET AND THE GUT World Digestive Health Day WDHD May 29, 2016
WGO Handbook on Diet and the Gut_2016_Final
To see the actual publication please follow the link above