Whole Systems Approach to Obesity Prevention in Fife : Children and Young People

The Purpose of Workshop 1

Taking a whole systems approach means recognising that many of our health issues can’t be solved by one agency alone.

We’re only likely to make progress if stakeholders from across the local community work together and collaboratively to develop actions to make a positive impact locally.

A systems approach means partners leading and taking collective responsibility for actions that have an impact on obesity.

Workshop 1 brought stakeholders together to discuss the causes of obesity from different perspectives.

A quick guide to causal mapping

Workshop 1 Outputs

On Wednesday 18th March 2021, 41 participants from across local organisations came together in a virtual workshop to discuss the causes of obesity from their perspectives. These discussions enabled stakeholders to begin to identify and agree common causes of obesity in the Dunfermline and Cowdenbeath areas.

During the workshop 12 causal maps were produced covering a broad range of topics. You can view the maps below.

maps created during workshop one

Despite the challenges of pulling together an event like this during a global pandemic, participant feedback suggested that it successfully fulfilled it's purpose, challenged preconceptions and broadened perceptions.

Next Steps

Following Workshop 1, the Whole Systems Approach working group reviewed the individual causal maps and carefully considered the wide-ranging discussions stakeholders had participated in at the workshop. The group worked on checking, reviewing and collating the information collected in the individual maps to build one map identifying causes of obesity from the perspectives of our stakeholder group.

During this process, 10 clear themes began to emerge:

Availability of unhealthy food

Education

Food knowledge and skills

Home environment

Income

Media

Mental Health/Self esteem

Physical activity

Physical environment

Transport