Dubai gets ready to rethink weight and health at inaugural RE:SUMMIT 2026
RE:SUMMIT, a free public health event
The free public event, presented by Lilly and hosted by radio and TV personality and entrepreneur Kris Fade, will feature leading medical experts, government officials and some of the region’s most influential voices, including Emirati entrepreneur and #ABtalks host Anas Bukhash. Combining scientific insights with personal perspectives, the speakers will explore why weight is more complex than it may seem, how social expectations and stigma shape people’s experiences, and what a better understanding of obesity could mean for their health.
The scale of the challenge is particularly evident across the Gulf, where obesity affects more than one in three adults in several GCC countries, according to the World Health Organization.¹
Among the speakers is Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an internationally recognized obesity medicine physician-scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Her clinical and research work focuses on obesity, weight bias and health disparities. Through her work and public conversations, she has helped explain the complexity of obesity and challenge the stigma surrounding it.
“What science tells us about obesity has advanced, and so has the way the disease can be managed,” said Dr. Cody Stanford. “Obesity is a complex chronic disease, and there is no single approach that is right for everyone. Care needs to consider the whole person: their body, their life and their goals. It can include nutrition and physical activity, behavioral and mental-health support, medication and, for some people, surgery. Understanding that wider picture can help someone have a better-informed conversation with a healthcare professional about appropriate next steps.”
The program will also feature a candid conversation led by Anas Bukhash, with Kris Fade, UAE-based content creator Hadeel Marei, and entrepreneur and content creator Karen Wazen. Known for creating candid, human conversations and bringing out personal perspectives that audiences can relate to through #ABtalks, Anas will guide the discussion around identity, self-perception, and the pressures that can shape how people feel about their bodies and themselves. Fade and Marei have spoken openly about living with obesity and the judgment that can accompany it, while Karen Wazen brings a different perspective on public scrutiny and the pressures of social media. Together, they will explore how expectations around weight and appearance can affect confidence, identity and self-worth.
Medical experts, including specialists in clinical psychology and nutrition, will help explain the biological, behavioral, psychological and environmental factors that influence weight, making the science relevant to everyday life.
Beyond the stage, experiential activations will give visitors different ways to engage with the subject. Interactive installations will explore the connections between weight and health, while a digital wall will invite people to reconsider familiar comments about weight and the impact those words can have. Visitors can also create a personal “receipt of effort,” recognizing the everyday actions they already take to support their wellbeing.
Tayllit Aherdan, General Manager, Eli Lilly Gulf, said: “People deserve to understand what science now tells us about weight and obesity, particularly when their own experience has left them discouraged or unsure where to turn. RE:SUMMIT is a major public health engagement platform presented by Lilly. Developed in the UAE, it aims to make the science of obesity more accessible, challenge stigma and help people recognize when and where to seek appropriate support. Our hope is that visitors leave better informed, more comfortable asking questions and with a different perspective on a subject that touches so many lives.”
For people living with obesity, misconceptions about weight can translate into judgment and blame, making conversations about health more difficult. RE:SUMMIT aims to create a welcoming space for those conversations, where people can learn, recognize something of their own experience and better understand what appropriate care and support can look like.
RE:SUMMIT is free and open to the public, with advance registration required. Seats are limited. To reserve a place, visit www.resummit.ae
Reference
1. WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. "Regional expert meeting on policy action for healthy diets, with a focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries." Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2023.
Layth Kamal
Mojo Global
+971 544322002
layth@mojo-me.com
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