The 15th Asia Pacific Conference on Clinical Nutrition (APCCN 2026) will take place on 23–24 November 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme “Nourishing a Sustainable Future.” The conference will bring together clinicians, researchers, educators and other nutrition professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
APCCN 2026 will explore the transformative role of clinical nutrition in addressing current and future health challenges, with a programme spanning health and nutrition equity, emerging trends in nutritional science, and clinical nutrition and food systems for a healthy planet. The event will also provide opportunities for scientific exchange, networking and collaboration.
The conference will be held in a hybrid format, offering both on-site and online participation. Early-bird registration is available until 25 September 2026.
Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of obesity will be central to the discussions at the XXX Brazilian Congress of Nutrology (CBN 2026) and the III World Congress of Nutrology. This edition, marking the event’s 30th anniversary, will take place from September 24 to 26 at the Frei Caneca Convention Center in São Paulo, featuring experts from Brazil and abroad.
Organized by the Brazilian Association of Nutrology (ABRAN), CBN 2026 will be held entirely in person and is expected to welcome over 3,500 healthcare professionals. The program includes 70 national and international symposia, approximately 400 scientific papers, and an exhibition area featuring more than 60 companies. Activities will take place simultaneously across five auditoriums.
Key topics include new therapies for obesity and diabetes; the use of incretin-based medications, such as GLP-1 and GIP agonists; muscle mass preservation during weight loss; cardiorenal-metabolic syndrome; insulin resistance; gut microbiota; and personalized nutritional therapy.
The scientific agenda will also cover sarcopenia, women’s health, aging, pediatric nutrology, oncology, nutritional therapy for critically ill patients, mental health, artificial intelligence in healthcare, and scientific communication in the face of social media misinformation.”. CBN is a forum for discussing the latest scientific evidence, refining clinical practice, and exploring the innovations transforming the specialty. In this historic edition, we will gather to share experiences and strengthen a community dedicated to health promotion and patient care,” highlights Prof. Dr. Durval Ribas Filho, President of ABRAN.
World-renowned diabetes expert to participate in the congress
One of the major international highlights will be Prof. Dr. Ralph A. DeFronzo is a world-renowned authority on type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Medical School, with residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, he serves as a professor and Chief of the Diabetes Division at UT Health San Antonio in the United States. DeFronzo is credited with formulating the “Ominous Octet” concept—which describes the mechanisms involved in the development of type 2 diabetes—and the clamp method, considered the gold standard for assessing insulin resistance.
At CBN 2026, he will present the lecture “Obesity and the new cardiorenal-metabolic (CKM) syndrome” on September 24 at 9:30 AM in Auditorium 1.
Clinical obesity and adipose tissue The program also features Prof. Dr. Eugenio Cersosimo, an endocrinologist, professor of medicine, and scientific director of research at the Texas Diabetes Institute in the United States. The specialist will deliver the lecture “Adipose tissue: cellular mechanisms in clinical obesity” on September 24 at 8:45 AM in Auditorium 1.
Precision nutritional therapy and supplementation Uruguayan physician Dr. Marcelo Yaffé—Head of the Specialized Nutritional Support Unit at Pasteur Hospital in Montevideo and a member of the Board of Directors of the Latin American Federation of Nutritional Therapy, Clinical Nutrition, and Metabolism (FELANPE)—will participate in three sessions. “Precision nutritional therapy: real personalization or sophisticated illusion?” September 24 at 3:30 PM, Auditorium 1 “Obesity and omega-3: DHA, EPA, or both? What is the dosage?” September 24, 5:30 PM, Auditorium 1 “Use of astaxanthin in obese patients and metabolic impact: what the evidence says” September 25, 4:30 PM, Auditorium 5
GLP-1, microbiota, and pediatric nutrition The international program also features Prof. Dr. Lisandro Garcia (Argentina), who will discuss the use of the probiotic *Akkermansia muciniphila* in treating obesity-associated dysbiosis. Dr. Leah D. Whigham (USA) will present the lecture “GLP-1 and nutrition: aligning diet with incretin-based therapy.”
In the field of Pediatric Nutrology, Prof. Dr. Carla Rego (Portugal) will address the prescription of early childhood formulas and scientific advances aimed at bringing infant formulas closer to the composition and biological functions of breast milk.
Other specialists from Chile, Colombia, the United States, Paraguay, and Uruguay, as well as Brazil, will also be in attendance.
Established three decades ago, the Brazilian Congress of Nutrology has solidified its position as one of the leading scientific gatherings in the specialty within Latin America and globally. This commemorative edition aims to foster greater exchange among researchers, physicians, and professionals from various healthcare fields, focusing on applying scientific evidence to clinical practice.
Event Details XXX Brazilian Congress of Nutrology (CBN 2026) and III World Congress of Nutrology Dates: September 24, 25, and 26, 2026 Frei Caneca Convention Center – São Paulo – SP – BRAZIL
Welcome back to the IUNS 80th anniversary series, “Nutrition Without Borders: 80 Years of IUNS”. The topic of this month is “ICNs: Where the Global Nutrition Community Meets, Shares, and Innovates”.
Since its earliest days, the IUNS has recognised that science advances fastest when people come together. One of the most powerful expressions of this belief is the International Congress of Nutrition (IUNS-ICN), which is the IUNS’s flagship global meeting held every four years. From a small gathering of nutrition scientists in the 1940s to today’s major scientific event attracting thousands of delegates from around the world, the IUNS-ICNs are where knowledge is shared, collaborations are formed, and the future of nutrition science is shaped.
A Forum for Global Exchange
The first IUNS‑linked International Congress of Nutrition took place shortly after the union was founded, bringing together researchers from a handful of countries to exchange findings and build scientific networks. Over the decades, these congresses have grown dramatically in scale and diversity. Where early meetings were largely academic and regional, today’s IUNS-ICNs are multi‑disciplinary, multi‑sectoral scientific gatherings.
By the late 20th century, IUNS-ICNs were drawing thousands of participants from all inhabited continents. Recent congresses, such as events in Buenos Aires, Granada, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Paris, have included plenary talks, symposia, posters, workshops, and networking events, reflecting the breadth of contemporary nutrition science.
These gatherings are not only about presenting research; they are about convening the community: professors and students, researchers and practitioners, policymakers and thought leaders, all under one roof to discuss evidence, debate ideas, and explore solutions to pressing global nutrition challenges.
ICN 2025: Sustainable Food for Global Health
The most recent congress, the 23rd IUNS‑ICN took place in Paris from 24–29 August 2025 under the theme “Sustainable Food for Global Health.” The event gathered thousands of participants from over 100 countries and showcased a rich scientific programme of plenary sessions, lectures, symposia, oral presentations, posters, and networking opportunities.
Topics spanned multiple facets of nutrition research and practice, including:
The future of nutrition recommendations
Climate change, sustainability, and nutrition
Global health and planetary nutrition
Public health nutrition across the life course
Precision and clinical nutrition
Non‑communicable diseases
Basic research in nutrition
Organisers made a special effort to ensure representation from all continents, including support for young scientists and researchers from low‑ and middle‑income countries. In addition to scientific sessions, cultural and social programmes fostered community and exchange among participants.
IUNS-ICN 2025 also reaffirmed IUNS’s commitment to inclusivity, knowledge sharing, and global dialogue about the future of diets and nutrition in a changing world.
Looking Back and Ahead
From its modest beginnings to its current scale, the IUNS-ICN has become a cornerstone event in global nutrition science. It reflects how the field has expanded from early concerns about deficiencies to today’s multifaceted questions about sustainability, diet quality, chronic disease, and planetary health. The next congress, scheduled for Vancouver in 2029, promises to continue this tradition of rigorous science, inclusive exchange, and collaborative learning.
By bringing thousands of voices together on a regular cadence, ICNs ensure that global nutrition science continues advancing collectively, not in isolation, just as IUNS intended decades ago.
In September, our series continues with IUNS-ICNs Through the Decades: How the Global Nutrition Conversation Evolved. The next story looks back across the congresses to trace how early priorities such as deficiency diseases and protein-energy malnutrition expanded into today’s wider agenda of chronic disease, food systems, sustainability, and equity, showing how IUNS and the IUNS-ICNs have helped shape nutrition science in step with a changing world.
Established under Law No. 284 in April 2022, the Lebanese Order of Dietitians (LOD) is the sole regulatory body for the dietetics profession in Lebanon. Its mission is to uphold professional standards, promote evidence-based practice, and lead national efforts to advance nutrition science and dietetic care.As of 2026, LOD has 1,174 registered dietitians, up from 871 in 2025 and 178 in 2022, reflecting the rapid formalization and growth of the regulated dietetics workforce in Lebanon.
NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DIETARY GUIDELINES: A MENA-REGION FIRST
Lebanon officially launched its Sustainable Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (SFBDGs) at the Ministry of Public Health in 2026 – the first guidelines of their kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. LOD led the scientific development of the guidelines, grounded in research from the American University of Beirut. The guidelines are built on four pillars: public health and wellbeing, economic resilience, environmental sustainability, and cultural acceptability.
LOD developed the guidelines in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aligning Lebanon’s approach with global best practice and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The SFBDGs now serve as a national roadmap for policymakers, institutions, and consumers, positioning Lebanon as an early regional reference point for sustainability-integrated dietary guidance.
STRENGTHENING SCIENTIFIC & CLINICAL PRACTICE
LOD continues to strengthen dietitians’ scientific and clinical capacity through continuing education. Building on a 2024 needs assessment of 261 licensed dietitians, LOD established a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) framework granting pre-approved credits to qualifying providers. Over the past year, LOD reviewed, approved, and granted Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) to 25 educational activities using standardized criteria. LOD also expanded its scientific and professional programming through several activities:
❖ First Annual Scientific Meeting – “From Undernutrition to Obesity and Diabetes Management,” accompanied by a hands-on Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) skills-based workshop for practicing dietitians.
❖ Obesity & Weight Management Meeting – Semaglutide 2.4mg and nutrition care for patients on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist therapy.
❖ National Dialogue on Obesity – LOD represented the profession in a multidisciplinary forum with the Lebanese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Lipids.
❖ Beyond the Clinic – a university workshop on ethical, professional, and technological perspectives in dietetics practice.
LOD POSITION STATEMENT: 2025-2030 U.S. DIETARY GUIDELINES
LOD issued a position statement on the newly released 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, affirming their emphasis on whole and minimally processed foods, dietary diversity, and limiting added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, and ultra-processed foods -consistent with positions held by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Heart Association, and American Cancer Society. The statement also identified critical gaps: limited integration of environmental sustainability despite established diet-climate links; inconsistencies between the recommendations and their visual communication (e.g., saturated fat guidance versus imagery favoring full-fat dairy and red meat, and underrepresentation of fiber-rich foods like legumes and whole grains); and the need for guidance that reflects age, health status, culture, and socioeconomic context rather than a one-size-fits-all model. LOD reaffirmed its call for locally adapted dietary guidelines and personalized nutrition counseling by licensed dietitians.
MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION POLICY
LOD contributed to the Ministry of Public Health and UNFPA launch of the national Dietary Guide for Women in the Perinatal Period, a practical, evidence-based tool for healthcare professionals covering preconception, pregnancy, lactation, and postpartum nutrition.
LOD’s leadership also represented the Order at the national launch of the World Breastfeeding Week Campaign and the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Capacity Building Program, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), WHO, and World Bank.
ADVANCING REGULATORY STANDARDS
In 2026, the LOD’s internal bylaws received formal approval from Lebanon’s Shura Council and the Ministry of Public Health, and the latter approved LOD’s conditions for establishing nutrition clinics and private practice – completing regulatory milestones first initiated last year.LOD continues to follow up on the implementation of a unified practical training program across hospitals nationwide and worked with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to correct the scope of practice for non-dietitian graduates, revoking their eligibility to provide nutrition advice and reinforcing patient safety and professional standards in the field.
The Nutritional & Health-related Environmental Studies Section is excited to share its eNewsletter.
In this issue:
Launch of the new IAEA Body Composition Online Calculator, designed to simplify the analysis of body composition data
New online training opportunity on the use of stable isotope methods to assess human milk intake
Expansion of activities offered through the ‘Nuclear Techniques in Nutrition User Group’, an IAEA-supported global Community of Practice
Launch of a new research project on protein quality from alternative dietary protein sources and amino acid requirements
Findings from an IAEA survey of radiation oncologists showing that, while nutrition is widely recognized as an essential component of cancer care, access to nutrition services remains limited
Release of the seventh episode of the Nuclear in Nutrition Interview Series, highlighting efforts to address childhood obesity in the Caribbean
Recorded webinar on the joint FAO-IAEA Database on Protein Quality, exploring the science behind the database, its development and its potential to strengthen nutrition research
Success story on how a new laboratory is strengthening efforts to address childhood stunting in the Philippines
Call for data on total energy expenditure and body composition for inclusion in the IAEA DLW and BC databases, helping to build the evidence base for advancing nutrition science
Interview with UN-Nutrition Chair and IAEA Deputy Director General Dr Najat Mokhtar following the renewal of her mandate as Chair of UN-Nutrition
The abstracts presented at IUNS-ICN 2025, held in Paris in August 2025, are now available as a special collection published in the Journal of Nutritional Science.
The collection brings together the scientific contributions presented at the Congress and provides a lasting resource for the nutrition science community.
The Chinese Nutrition Leadership Training Programme (CNLP), a collaborative initiative between the Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS) and the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), was established with the aim of empowering young scholars in the field of nutrition in China, to expand their thinking beyond professional boundaries and develop into confident, globally-minded leaders. Since its inception in 2008, this flagship programme has been conducted eight times, successfully cultivating over 300 leaders in the nutritional profession and establishing itself as a key initiative for nurturing young leadership within the nutrition society.
The 9th Chinese Nutrition Leadership Training Programme (CNLP) took place in the city of Ürümqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on August 2–7, 2026. This programme was jointly organized by the Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS), the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), and the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (FANS). After selection process involving nominations, initial screening, and competitive evaluation, 46 participants representing a diverse background from Universities, Research institutions, medical facilities, Provincial CDCs were chosen from over 100 applicants to join this programme.
Programme Key Themes
International Perspective and Innovative Thinking: To broaden participants’ global outlook and cultivate innovative approaches to challenges in the nutrition field.
Professional Integration and Capacity Building: To strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance professional competence across diverse domains.
Vision Enhancement and Comprehensive Literacy: To broaden participants’ horizons and refine their overall professional and cultural literacy.
Leadership and Implementation Capability: To elevate participants’ leadership skills, ensure the effective execution of ideas, and improve their ability to communicate with clarity and impact.
Picture 1. The group photo of the opening ceremony of 9th CNLP
Programme Overview
At the opening ceremony held on August 2, Professor Yuexin Yang, President of the Chinese Nutrition Society;President of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies, officially announced the beginning of the programme. She emphasized that the goal of CNLP is not “professional” learning by itself, but rather expanding one’s thinking and identifying personal growth areas. She noted that leadership training is not about learning administrative authority, but about self-improvement and self-management encompassing execution, cooperation, guidance, and influence—all rooted in the power of thought. Professor Yang encouraged participants to cherish the opportunity, engage in earnest study, foster teamwork within their groups, build friendships, and enlighten one another through the learning process.
Picture 2. Professor Yuexin Yang，President of Chinese Nutrition Society,President of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Society , delivers an opening speech
Following the opening, participants engaged in leadership self-assessment, ice-breaking activities, group division, and task assignments. The 46 participants were organized into four groups – Event Operations, Media&News, Culture&Sports, and Team Development – each with distinct responsibilities, and were actively involved in planning and implementing activities throughout the programme.
Picture 3. Candidates for class monitor and group leaders.
Over the subsequent five days, the programme was delivered through a diverse mix of lectures, panel discussions, forums, site visits, and interactive workshops, structured around four core modules: international perspective and innovative thinking; professional integration and capacity building; vision enhancement and comprehensive literacy; and leadership and implementation skills. Each module combined theoretical grounding with hands-on practice, covering cutting edge topics in nutrition science, research methodologies, interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural awareness, and team management. Faculty members from multiple countries and disciplines, including China, the United States, and Italyetc., contributed to the sessions, enriching participants’ global outlook and practical skills.
Complementing the formal sessions, each group designed and facilitated interactive activities that put leadership principles into practice, including self-awareness exercises, professional branding, persuasive communication, and conflict resolution through a structured debate on dietary patterns and a scenario-based negotiation simulation. An evening peer-exchange session further allowed participants to explore practical challenges in leadership and communication.
Picture 4. The Culture & Sports Group leads participants in break-time activities.
Picture 5. Team Development Group leads Scenario-based simulation exercise
On August 7, the programme held its final summary and learning achievement sharing session. Representatives from each group delivered presentations in English, reflecting on their gains in terms of broadened industry vision, enhanced professional skills, elevated leadership qualities, and strengthened team collaboration. Some participants also shared their personal reflections：
“This experience has made me realize that true breakthroughs come from organized collaborative research, systematic data sharing, and the heartfelt exchange of experience.”
“Not a nutrition major, but I came purely for my love of clinical nutrition. My heartfelt thanks to the Chinese Nutrition Society for building this precious platform for young clinicians and scholars—and for this extraordinary opportunity to grow and connect.”
A panel of experts provided on-site comments and feedback. They commended the participants’ rapid progress and deep thinking, and encouraged them to continue consolidating their professional foundations, to develop their own distinctive “nutrition labels,” and to actively contribute to the national Healthy China initiative.
The ceremony included a video review produced by the Media&News group, followed by the presentation of training certificates.
Conclusion
The 9th CNLP has successfully achieved its goal of equipping participants with the skills and knowledge to become leaders in the field of nutrition. The participants expressed that the five-day training had not only improved their professional literacy but also enhanced their teamwork and leadership abilities. They unanimously agreed that this training was not an end point but a new starting point for their professional growth, and they pledged to apply what they had learned and continue to contribute to the development of the nutrition field. Additionally, the participants have formed deep friendships and established extensive cooperation networks. It is believed that in the future, these participants will become leading figures in the field of nutrition, collectively advancing the prosperity and development of the nutrition industry and guiding it towards new heights.
IUNS congratulates the Joint Mediterranean Diet Task Force on the publication of A voluntary code of conduct for promoting adherence to the Mediterranean diet: rationale and propositions, now published in the Journal of Nutritional Science.
The publication represents an important milestone in the Task Force’s work to address declining adherence to the Mediterranean diet and promote its health, cultural and sustainability benefits. Established jointly by IUNS, FENS and CIHEAM, the Task Force is developing a common framework to measure adherence and a voluntary code of conduct to support sustainable Mediterranean diets across food systems and sectors.
The Micronutrient Forum and the Millers for Nutrition (M4N) Coalition will host a webinar on 13 August 2026 exploring practical approaches to strengthening food fortification programmes and expanding access to fortified foods.
Drawing on experiences from Nigeria, Kenya and India, the webinar will share lessons from the M4N Coalition, which has engaged more than 500 millers across Africa and Asia to improve fortification compliance, expand access to fortified foods and strengthen incentives for private-sector participation.
The session will also explore approaches including fortification quality indices and expanding fortified rice into voluntary markets and through private-sector engagement.
The 9th Bangladesh Nutrition Conference will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 21–23 November 2026. The conference is jointly organised by the Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF), the Nutrition Society of Bangladesh (NSB) and the Nutrition Foundation of Bangladesh (NFB).
The conference aims to strengthen nutrition programmes in Bangladesh by showcasing recent advances in nutrition science and promoting innovation, evidence-based interventions, and emerging developments in clinical, molecular, biochemical and public health nutrition. It will also provide a valuable platform for scientific exchange, collaboration and networking among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students and young professionals.
The organisers warmly invite scientists, policymakers, development partners, students and early career researchers to participate in this important event and contribute to advancing nutrition science and improving nutrition outcomes in Bangladesh.
For further information, please contact the conference organisers directly at BangladeshNutritionConference@nsb.org.bd.
