We are the Centric Lab Obesity Health Justice team, a peer-to-peer programme co-developed by those with lived experience of obesity alongside a wide range of health practitioners and researchers within Centric Lab - https://www.thecentriclab.com/obesity-health-justice

Participation will be entirely voluntary, we hope that you will want to contribute because you have a relationship with the work and see the value in the project. 

To support reflection as a group with lived-experience, we have developed a series of optional prompts. You may choose to respond to one or several of these, or speak about something else that feels important to your experience. 

These prompts are intended as starting points rather than a fixed structure. We welcome a range of experiences, perspectives and reflections, and you are free to contribute in a way that feels meaningful to you. Please only share what you feel comfortable with being publicly presented, even if it is anonymous. 

• What does an average day look like for you? 

• What makes you experience joy? / what do you experience joy from? 

• What outside of your diet and lifestyle is impacting your health? (prompt to talk about the more ecological factors)

• What has been difficult for you that others might not see?

• When have you felt judged or misunderstood?

• What would you like people to understand about your experience?

• What has helped you feel less alone?

• What would you want to say to someone in a similar position?

• What part of your identity do you feel is often overlooked?

• Can you describe a moment that changed how you see yourself?

• What is something you like about yourself? 

• What has helped you carry difficult days? 

• What strengths have helped you navigate your journey? 

• What has supported the relationship you are building with yourself? 

• How do you look after yourself when advocating for yourself, in the interaction in medical appointments? 

• How does it feel to advocate for someone else Vs yourself? 

• What do you want healthcare professionals to understand?

Aim for your recording to be up to one or two minutes. Feel free to submit multiple recordings if you want to respond to or reflect on more than one prompt. 

Will my contribution be anonymous? 

• Yes. Your name, or any other personal details will not be attached to your recording. However, complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed in audio recordings, as some people may recognise your voice or details you choose to share about your experiences. You should avoid including names, locations or other information that you would not want to be publicly available. 

Will my voice definitely be included in the final output? 

• We cannot guarantee that we will use every entry or each entry in their entirety as we shape the bigger coherent message. If we do not use your contribution, this is purely an editing decision and not a reflection on the value of your lived experience.
  

Will my audio recording be edited?

• We will not edit what you say, however, we might use only a part of what you submit as a shorter soundbite.

Who will hear my voice?

• The resource will be publicly available and free to access. While we will always use contributions in line with the aims of the project, once content is publicly available, we cannot control how it is accessed, shared or discussed by others. 

What if I change my mind? 

• Please listen to your recordings before you send them to us to ensure you are happy with them. We are aiming to publish this work by October 2026. If you have submitted your voice and later decide to withdraw it, please contact us by 15 November 2026, and we will remove your voice from the project. 

Share your voice - recording instructions 

Using a phone to record your voice

• A phone is a valid tool for recording your entry.

• If you use your phone, you can use your phone’s default voice note/recorder app.

• You can save the file using the default title (usually the date and time of recording) or change it to something easier to remember or find.

• Make sure you know how to find the file and share it after recording.

Using a microphone (or other audio equipment) to record voice

• If you have access to a microphone (including through friends, family, colleagues), it might help you create a clearer recording than your phone.

• If not using your own microphone or equipment, make sure you save or are sent a copy of your audio recording.

• Make sure you know how to find the file and share it after recording. 

Share your voice - tips for recording

These are tips that can help you to safely and clearly create a recording to submit:

• Do not include any identifiable names in your recordings

• Please only share to the extent that you are comfortable with recounting, and please honour your own boundaries.

• Try to pick a location with very little background noise and where talking at a reasonable volume is allowed.

• Take a test recording to make sure you are close enough to the microphone.

• If it helps, write down or take a note of the key points you want to talk about to help keep your recording on topic and well paced.

• Your recording does not need to be perfectly articulated, so do not worry about taking too many retries.

• If you do not feel comfortable recording your own submission, ask for help from someone you trust who may be more familiar with audio recording, or get in touch and we can support. 

Share your voice - submitting your recording 

There are two ways to submit your recording and take part in this project. Please feel free to choose the option that works best for you: 

Option 1: You can fill out the form at the end of this page and upload your recording. 

Option 2: If you’d prefer, you can send your recording via email. Please email charlotte@thecentriclab.com with your recording and in including the following message of consent:

“I consent to Centric Lab using my submitted audio recording(s) as part of the Obesity Voices project. 

I have read and fully understood the project information page and know I can contact Centric Lab with any questions. 

I understand that submitting my audio recording(s) does not guarantee that the recording(s) will be used in the final output of the project.

I understand that the audio recording(s) that I submit to Centric Lab will only be used as part of the Obesity Voices project for anonymous, public use. Every effort will be made to ensure confidentiality.”

If you want support or an alternative way to participate, email Charlotte at charlotte@thecentriclab.com to schedule a chat.

Some people may find that reflecting on their experiences brings up difficult thoughts or emotions. You are encouraged to share only what feels comfortable for you. There is no expectation to discuss experiences that feel too personal, upsetting or private. You can stop recording, take a break, or decide not to submit your contribution at any point.

If reflecting on these topics raises concerns about your wellbeing, we encourage you to seek support from someone you trust, or another appropriate source of support.