The Peoples’ Obesity Justice Pamphlet
As a first step towards obesity health justice, we have created The People’s Obesity Pamphlet, a resource for the people, by the people. This is a tool for harm reduction and the promotion of autonomy for people who are experiencing obesity.
As a first step towards obesity health justice, we have created The People’s Obesity Justice Pamphlet, a resource for the people, by the people. This is a tool for harm reduction and the promotion of autonomy for people who are experiencing obesity.
Contact us if you want printed copies for your establishment, centre, place of work
We want your feedback!
Please provide any feedback about the pamphlet here. We will use this to capture the impact of the pamphlet, as well to improve and build upon this body of work.
This pamphlet is by the people, for the people and we want to hear what you have to say.
Your feedback will help us to:
Capture the impact of the pamphlet, and see how and where it's being accessed
See how we can improve and build on this work
So that we can share our learnings, we may include your feedback in Centric reporting. Please note that by filling in this form you provide consent for your data to be used anonymously as part of our reporting. We are not collecting any personal data but for the avoidance of doubt you can review Centric Lab’s privacy policy here.
Further Reading
Towards Obesity Health Justice
This work aims to demonstrate the harm of the dominant, individualised, narrative of obesity. We present an alternative understanding that views obesity through a neuro-epidemiological, environmental and sociopolitical lens. This serves as an avenue for people who are experiencing obesity to understand their disease and explore potential methods of self-care, self-advocacy and safeguarding.
There is extensive empirical evidence that obesity is a complex disease which is influenced by multiple factors, such as air pollution and trauma (Cohen & Shikora, 2020). In spite of this, medical narratives (and society at large) assume that body size can be used to predict an individual's health, is responsible for various diseases, and can be controlled through diet and exercise alone (Mauldin, May & Clifford, 2022). This, in effect places the responsibility and blame on the individuals who are experiencing obesity.
Stage 1
Developing a shared understanding and strategic focus
The review of the literature for ‘Towards Obesity Health Justice’ enabled us to generate an initial framework of understanding, the key pillars of which were as follows:
The disconnection between the neuroendocrine research highlighting the complex nature of obesity and the solely weight focussed and hyper-individualistic nature of the mainstream social and medical narrative;
The specific narrative of individualisation and blame that many patients experience whilst accessing healthcare, as well as the harm that this creates;
The lack of health inequalities analysis highlighting the socioeconomic and environmental drivers of obesity in the dominant narratives;
The lack of political health analysis to understand who benefits from a hyper-individualised narrative of obesity and corporate influence on the framing of obesity;
The lack, and importance, of the inclusion of the viewpoints of those experiencing, or impacted by, obesity.
This provided a backdrop for the next stage of the process, where we formed a collaborative working group of people with a range of backgrounds and expertise. These included people with lived expertise of obesity, cognitive neuroscientists, doctors and medical practitioners. Note that some collaborators occupied multiple of these backgrounds.
What we did:
Collaborators participated in a series of 1-2 hour roundtables which were conducted online via video call.
The aim of the first roundtable was to create a shared understanding of the current societal and medical narratives of obesity, the impact that they have and the best course of action from which to reduce their harm.
The outcome of this roundtable was a strategic focus on enabling those living with obesity to understand and challenge the dominant narrative of obesity. This was envisioned as a social justice pamphlet.
The decision to create a social justice pamphlet was due to their long history of enacting justice for various communities through spreading information that is usually not available to them.
The scientific definitions and knowledges of obesity are currently not widely accessible/ known to the general public, thus, creating a great opportunity for co-learning, awareness, and self advocacy amongst those experiencing obesity.
The inspiration was very much the pamphlet and literature created by The Black Panther Party on sickle cell anaemia, which is a disease that was prevalent in the Black community (Bassett, 2016). The medical community of the time had no interest in treating this disease or providing the community with adequate information, creating health injustice amongst many in the Black community (Smith & Vairie 2022).
Stage 2
The Creation of the People’s Obesity Justice Pamphlet
The co-creation of the pamphlet took place through a series of three further roundtables.
These roundtables consisted of a mixture of discussion and written co-working on a shared a google jamboard
Contributions were collated them into the different sections of the pamphlet and at times using direct quotes.
This meant that over 80% of the pamphlet was directly written and or influenced by the cohort. This has resulted in a pamphlet that is written by the people and for the people.
After designing the pamphlet the cohort was given the opportunity to feedback and fine-tune the contents and aesthetics of the pamphlet.
-
The aforementioned aim and sentiment behind the pamphlet was an avenue for people to understand their disease and explore potential methods of self-care, self-advocacy and safeguarding. It was highly important that was not only reflected in the final output, but in the process of creation itself. The process through which this work was created was just as important as the outputs it produced.
For this reason, each roundtable was conducted with between 5-10 members of the working group. This intimate setting enabled the creation and maintenance of a healing, non-violent and just space in which collaborators could share and be heard.
A sense of psychological safety and healing space for the members was created and maintained through the following practices, which were outlined and agreed upon before the start of the process:
Boundaries: All participants were encouraged to create clear boundaries surrounding what they felt comfortable to share and discuss. These boundaries were to be respected by all members of the group.
Promotion of kinship/ solidarity: There was a clear expectation that the space is inclusive / pro black, indigenous and multi-ethnic working class space. There was complete intolerance of any language/ actions that are not in line with the promise.
Annonyminity and informed consent: Although all contributors are acknowledged equally through authorship, no specific information is attributable to any one contributor. Further, all resources and communications were approved by all members of the group before sharing/ publication.
Further Reading
The Making of “The Peoples’ Obesity Justice Pamphlet”
Here we provide a brief overview of the creation of “The People’s Obesity Justice Pamphlet”.
Here we provide a brief overview of the creation of “The Peoples’ Obesity Justice Pamphlet”. A more detailed outline of our methodologies and creative process will be available in an upcoming publication later in 2024.
The pamphlet aims to demonstrate the harm that the dominant narrative does, and presents an alternative understanding of obesity through a neuro-epidemiological, sociopolitical, and environmental lens. This serves as an avenue for people to understand their disease and explore potential methods of self-care, self-advocacy and safeguarding.
Stage 1
Developing a shared understanding and strategic focus
The review of the literature for ‘Towards Obesity Health Justice’ enabled us to generate an initial framework of understanding, the key pillars of which were as follows:
The disconnection between the neuroendocrine research highlighting the complex nature of obesity and the solely weight focussed and hyper-individualistic nature of the mainstream social and medical narrative;
The specific narrative of individualisation and blame that many patients experience whilst accessing healthcare, as well as the harm that this creates;
The lack of health inequalities analysis highlighting the socioeconomic and environmental drivers of obesity in the dominant narratives;
The lack of political health analysis to understand who benefits from a hyper-individualised narrative of obesity and corporate influence on the framing of obesity;
The lack, and importance, of the inclusion of the viewpoints of those experiencing, or impacted by, obesity.
This provided a backdrop for the next stage of the process, where we formed a collaborative working group of people with a range of backgrounds and expertise. These included people with lived expertise of obesity, cognitive neuroscientists, doctors and medical practitioners. Note that some collaborators occupied multiple of these backgrounds.
What we did:
Collaborators participated in a series of 1-2 hour roundtables which were conducted online via video call.
The aim of the first roundtable was to create a shared understanding of the current societal and medical narratives of obesity, the impact that they have and the best course of action from which to reduce their harm.
The outcome of this roundtable was a strategic focus on enabling those living with obesity to understand and challenge the dominant narrative of obesity. This was envisioned as a social justice pamphlet.
The decision to create a social justice pamphlet was due to their long history of enacting justice for various communities through spreading information that is usually not available to them.
The scientific definitions and knowledges of obesity are currently not widely accessible/ known to the general public, thus, creating a great opportunity for co-learning, awareness, and self advocacy amongst those experiencing obesity.
The inspiration was very much the pamphlet and literature created by The Black Panther Party on sickle cell anaemia, which is a disease that was prevalent in the Black community (Bassett, 2016). The medical community of the time had no interest in treating this disease or providing the community with adequate information, creating health injustice amongst many in the Black community (Smith & Vairie 2022).
Stage 2
The Creation of the People’s Obesity Justice Pamphlet
The co-creation of the pamphlet took place through a series of three further roundtables.
These roundtables consisted of a mixture of discussion and written co-working on a shared a google jamboard
Contributions were collated them into the different sections of the pamphlet and at times using direct quotes.
This meant that over 80% of the pamphlet was directly written and or influenced by the cohort. This has resulted in a pamphlet that is written by the people and for the people.
After designing the pamphlet the cohort was given the opportunity to feedback and fine-tune the contents and aesthetics of the pamphlet.
-
The aforementioned aim and sentiment behind the pamphlet was an avenue for people to understand their disease and explore potential methods of self-care, self-advocacy and safeguarding. It was highly important that was not only reflected in the final output, but in the process of creation itself. The process through which this work was created was just as important as the outputs it produced.
For this reason, each roundtable was conducted with between 5-10 members of the working group. This intimate setting enabled the creation and maintenance of a healing, non-violent and just space in which collaborators could share and be heard.
A sense of psychological safety and healing space for the members was created and maintained through the following practices, which were outlined and agreed upon before the start of the process:
Boundaries: All participants were encouraged to create clear boundaries surrounding what they felt comfortable to share and discuss. These boundaries were to be respected by all members of the group.
Promotion of kinship/ solidarity: There was a clear expectation that the space is inclusive / pro black, indigenous and multi-ethnic working class space. There was complete intolerance of any language/ actions that are not in line with the promise.
Annonyminity and informed consent: Although all contributors are acknowledged equally through authorship, no specific information is attributable to any one contributor. Further, all resources and communications were approved by all members of the group before sharing/ publication.
Further Reading
Healing, Not Thinning
Exploring the Potential of Micro-Grants as a Pathway to Healing and Health Justice for People Living with Obesity
Exploring the Potential of Micro- Grants as a Pathway to Healing and Health Justice for People Living with Obesity
From our Obesity Justice programme we bring forward this piece of working on providing micro-grants designed to give autonomy and dignity to individuals and communities.
This report will show how they have emerged as an innovative approach for Centric Lab to support holistic healing pathways. We are using these grants to start shaping new methods and imaginations around community health practices.
Obesity is increasingly understood as a condition marked by the dysregulation of multiple bodily systems, with mental health, stress, and environmental factors playing a crucial but often under-recognised role.
As said by Harvey & Miller [2023], micro-grants enable recipients to take the time to identify their specific health needs unique to their lived experience, explore personalised strategies for wellbeing, and create long-term solutions in their contexts.
To download a pdf copy of this please use this link or read via the slideshow viewer on this page.
A plain text version of this report is available to view online here.
Further Information
If you are a person that would like to organise healing opportunities for your community, please get in touch. Equally, if you are an organisation that would like to provide similar infrastructure, also get in touch.
Further Reading
Obesity Health Justice Pamphlet Launch Event
On 11th July the cohort behind the co-designed Obesity Justice Pamphlet held an evening event with a select group to share insights, learnings, and aims of the Pamphlet. These are the 3 presentations in audio format that took place.
On 11th July the cohort behind the co-designed Obesity Justice Pamphlet held an evening event with a select group to share insights, learnings, and aims of the Pamphlet. These are the 3 presentations in audio format that took place.
Araceli is a neuroscientist at Centric Lab studying the links between obesity and the political determinants of health.
Dr. Dobbin is a practicing GP working in Somers Town, London and a researcher at University College London in their primary health care department. Joanna discusses the history of western medicine and its approach to obesity.
Charlotte is a cognitive neuroscientist working with Centric Lab. Charlotte has been the programme coordinator and lead researcher. Charlotte is also someone who lives with Obesity. Charlotte discusses the harm of the individualised narrative of Obesity.
Rebecca is a member of the public who lives with Obesity and has been a part of the programme. Rebecca discusses her personal lived experience in dealing with the harms caused by the healthcare systems and talks about her experience on the programme.
Rebecca Blyden
Further Reading