Contact Dr Duncan Radley
Senior Research Fellow, Carnegie School of Sport
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Systems approaches
This theme seeks to support a step change in the way we address obesity by developing and applying systems approaches to policy and intervention development and evaluation.
It is now accepted that obesity results from many interconnected policy, environmental, social, economic, cultural and biological factors and to reduce obesity action from individuals and society across all sectors is necessary. Despite this awareness, the majority of interventions and strategies do not take this complexity into account and continue to focus on individual behaviour change approaches.
Systems approaches are a collection of methods and techniques, including qualitative system mapping and quantitative system modelling. Systems approaches require a shift in thinking, away from simple, linear models to understanding the complexity. In addition to asking whether a policy or intervention works to reduce obesity, systems approaches allow us to identify if and how policy/interventions contribute to reshaping the system in favourable ways.
Contact Dr Claire Griffiths
Reader, Carnegie School of Sport
