Yorkshire Obesity Research Alliance (YORA)

The Challenge

YORA is a community of academics, clinicians, key stakeholders and members of the general public with an interest in obesity research within the Yorkshire area. The work of YORA is intended to directly contribute to the regions obesity practice and policy through collaboration and co-production.

YORA currently has over 150 members from across the region, including people from universities, Local Authorities, the NHS, businesses, VCS groups, and the public, all with an interest in obesity research.

Professor Louisa Ells was the principal investigator of the NIHR CRN funding award granted to establish the network. Professor Louisa Ells and Dr Kris Southby are members of the YORA organizing committee alongside Dr Catherine Homer and Dr Mike Thewell from Sheffield Hallam University, and Nicola Corrigan and Kristin Bash from Public Health England. Louisa Ells also leads the emotional eating theme within the network.

The Approach

YORA contributes to effective regional action on obesity by facilitating collaborative working in the field of obesity research. YORA brings people together, shares learning and information about what’s happening across the region, identifies regional-specific issues, and develops new research ideas by:

• supporting research activities (e.g. grant applications, events, training etc.)
• hosting events (e.g. looking at regional research priorities; patient and public involvement (PPI) in obesity research)
• creating and collating research, practice and policy resources (e.g. through a monthly newsletter, blogs, and social media engagement
• promoting relevant opportunities (e.g. research funding calls and studentships)

The impact

• Embedding PPI activity into all obesity research – a new PPI hub is under development at LBU under, to support the obesity institute and YORA network.
• Co-development of four regional research priorities: 

1. Emotional eating: In a world where we are often surrounded by food, eating can be a common response. Some of the research questions to investigate in this area include:

What is the role of disordered and emotional eating in weight management and how this is currently managed in weight management services for young people and young adults?

What is the cause vs consequence of emotional eating and obesity?

1. Food poverty & insecurity: Food poverty and food insecurity are about people’s inability to obtain an adequate and nutritious diet in socially acceptable ways, or the uncertainty that they will able to do so. The causes are complex, including income, access to transport, housing quality, and poor physical and mental health. Some of the research questions to investigate in this area include:

How can food banks be tailored to encourage users to make healthy/healthier choices?

How do other types of low/zero-cost food providers (i.e. community shops) compare in terms of encouraging healthy food choices?

1. Children & young people: The environment significantly effects children and young people’s (C&YP) behaviour choices, and it is vital that we explore what an environment for C&YP to flourish should look like. Some of the research questions to investigate in this area include:

How could person centred approaches support teenagers / young people with body confidence, body image, self-belief? What interventions could be developed

What are the influences on the food behaviours of teenagers?

1. Weight management strategies:  Hundreds, if not thousands, of weight-loss strategies, diets, potions, and devices have come and gone. The multi-factorial causes of being overweight challenges practitioners and researchers to identify permanent, effective strategies for weight loss and maintenance. Some of the research questions to investigate in this area include:

Why peer support is an effective model and it’s impact on health behavioural theories?

How does the information given to individuals affect their adherence to weight management programmes?