Urban Health - Jessica Attard

Guy’s and St Thomas’s Charity Presented by: Jessica Attard, Portfolio Manager

Date: 21st July 2019

We’re an independent, based foundation

place-

We work to tackle major health challenges affecting people in urban, diverse and deprived areas

• We’re able to take a long term approach • We work with others to drive change • We focus on place…and the people in our place

Take yourself back to your earliest memory about food • Where were you?

• What could you see?

• What could you smell?

• How did you feel?

Now open your eyes and share this with the person next to you

We’ve worked hard to understand why people aren’t always eating healthy diets and how to make it easier for them to do so • • • •

Data and mapping Literature reviews Ethnographic research Surveys and focus groups

We apply human-centred design in all of our work.

By designing for those with low incomes you create solutions that meet the needs of everyone.

The vision of our programme is to tackle the childhood obesity deprivation gap in Lambeth and Southwark.

Prevalence of obesity amongst children aged 1011 Source: NCMP 2013/14 to 2015/16

Median Household income estimate Source:

Childhood obesity is a problem of inequality

And we found….

• All around us the environment drives us to eat more, and move less • Food can be used by parents to buy love and time with children, outlets can be used by teenagers as a safe space to spend time with friends • Food is social, it’s cultural, it’s religious, it’s personal.

And we found….

Many “choices” aren’t choices at all. They’re subconscious and are heavily influenced by our physical and social environment as well as what options are available.

Environmental nudges

Habit and routine

Headspace

Social influences

And we found….

• People do want to be healthy, but sometimes that’s hard • Particularly for those on low incomes, where their options are more limited Affordable

Need time

Tends to be unhealthy Triangle of needs

Healthy

Convenient Need money

We needed to make healthy the new default

But we can fix this‌ People created the rules that dictate how the food system works. Therefore people can change those rules and can reinvent new ways of doing things.

We created the food environment, and we can change it.

What have we done as a result?

We’re working with existing retailers: • Including convenience stores, to implement better choice architecture in-store to nudge healthier choices

• Including manufacturers to reformulate and reduce portion sizes • Include takeaway businesses to implement healthier catering standards • We’re working to influence shareholders as a route to driving healthier corporate behaviour too

What have we done as a result?

We’re disrupting the retail market: • By kick-starting a healthy takeaway business, testing an alternative business model which is financially sustainable.

• By supporting healthy challenger brands to reach the consumer market at scale.

What have we done as a result?

We’re closely with local groups to: • Run cook, eat and takeaway sessions • Support local entrepreneurs

• Provide vouchers for free fruit and vegetables • Provide healthy school holiday food provision

Three things I’ve learnt….

Though the issue may be complex, solutions don’t need to be.

Be open to listen and to learn, respond and to act.

Know that failure is not when things go wrong, but when you do not learn from the experience and share these learnings with others.

Thank you

www.gsttcharity.org.uk @GSTTCharity