In March 2026, researcher Dr. Adela Penesová from the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAS) became the first person in Slovakia to receive an international certificate from the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) as a European expert in obesity management (EASO European Clinical Fellow).
“This is confirmation of our cutting-edge expertise and that we are moving in the right direction in both the scientific field and clinical practice. We believe that science should address current societal problems – of which obesity is clearly one – and bridge the gap between clinical practice and research,” says Adela Penesová.
Approximately 25 percent of the adult population in Slovakia is obese, and nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. More than 12,000 children in our country also live with obesity. Obesity is linked to more than 200 different diseases, including colorectal and breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and diseases of the genitourinary tract.
“This enormous problem has significant socioeconomic consequences. It is essential that national obesity policy be implemented in practice in collaboration with health insurance companies and regional authorities. Multiple ministries – from transportation to agriculture, education, and health – should be involved,” says Penesová.
According to her, Slovakia still lacks relevant epidemiological data on obesity in adults, a gap that should be addressed through nationwide screening.
“There are major challenges, for example, in the field of gynecology, since today up to one-third of women are obese at the start of pregnancy. This causes problems with fertility, followed by health complications during pregnancy, a higher rate of cesarean sections during childbirth, and poor wound healing after delivery. Together with doctors, we are therefore preparing a plan for the management of pregnant patients with obesity,” she says.
The EASO European Clinical Fellow certificate can only be obtained by a board-certified physician in the relevant specialty with at least ten years of clinical practice in the field of obesity treatment, twenty scientific publications on the subject, and who, among other things, has presented research findings at a minimum of three international, global, or European congresses in the past five years focusing on obesity and associated diseases.
Adela Penesová has been engaged in obesity research for more than twenty years and has also worked in the U.S. She is a co-author of the book Clinical Obesity (2023) and the author or co-author of more than one hundred scientific publications, which have been cited more than 1,100 times.
She is currently completing a study on low testosterone – hypogonadism -in young men with class 2 and 3 obesity. In hypogonadism, simply put, testosterone in fat is converted into estrogen. This disorder is associated with several metabolic problems as well as fertility issues, reduced body hair, enlarged breasts, and erectile dysfunction, which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
She is currently completing a study on low testosterone – hypogonadism – in young men with class 2 and 3 obesity. In hypogonadism, simply put, testosterone is converted into estrogen in fat tissue. This disorder is associated with several metabolic problems as well as fertility issues, reduced body hair, enlarged breasts, and erectile dysfunction, which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
“It is the most common endocrine disorder in obese men, affecting about half of them. The good news is that this is a problem that can be reversed. In our research study, where we used dietary modifications and physical activity, participants lost an average of ten kilograms in two months. Even in such a short period, their liver, kidney, and lipid parameters, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity improved,” describes Penesová.
The BMC SAS also houses the first EASO-accredited Center for Obesity Management in Slovakia. It implements programs and studies based on comprehensive lifestyle changes, including nutrition, exercise, and coaching. The center admits more than 100 new patients each year.
Text and photo: E. Rybárová, BMC SAS