Tackling obesity across North West London requires more than identifying promising interventions. It means bringing together the right people, evidence and expertise to make informed choices about where collective action can have the greatest impact.
That has been the focus of the North West London Obesity Mission’s Discovery phase, which has now concluded with a recommended portfolio of innovation opportunities and a clearer direction for Delivery.
The work builds on the ambition established during Mobilisation: to stop the rise in obesity in North West London by 2030 and set it on a sustained path towards reduction, starting where need and inequality are greatest.
Making informed choices together
Tackling obesity is a complex challenge, and no single organisation or intervention can address it alone.
From the outset, Discovery was designed to go beyond identifying promising innovations. It was about bringing together evidence, expertise and perspectives from across the system to make informed choices about where to focus effort.
Through research and engagement with residents, partners and stakeholders across North West London, the team explored opportunities within the three priority areas identified during Mobilisation: Children, young people and family prevention, access to weight management services, and access to GLP-1 treatments and wraparound care.
A diverse panel of North West London residents with lived experience of obesity also met regularly throughout Discovery, sharing their perspectives to help test emerging ideas, challenge assumptions and inform the Mission’s priorities.
The Obesity Mission Steering Group played an important role in providing strategic oversight, bringing together senior leaders from across the system to review emerging findings, challenge proposals and help shape the recommended portfolio.
The opportunities were assessed against criteria including their potential impact on inequalities, strength of evidence, feasibility, scalability and stakeholder and resident acceptability.
Together, this work has helped the Mission move from a broad range of possibilities towards a more focused innovation portfolio for Delivery, with a stronger foundation of shared understanding and ownership.
Three connected areas for innovation
The recommended portfolio brings together three innovation pathways, designed to work together to help achieve the Mission’s goal.
1. Obesity prevention in childhood
Exploring a schools-based healthy habits programme, working with football clubs to help children and their families develop healthier habits and reduce the likelihood of obesity developing later in life.
The Mission will also explore how it can connect and support existing children and family prevention activity across North West London, sharing learning between partners and identifying emerging opportunities for innovation.
2. Widen access to treatment in medium-risk adults
Exploring ways to improve access to GLP-1 treatments to help prevent cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic (CVKM) conditions, particularly among people living in the most deprived 20% of areas (CORE20) who may currently be missing out on available treatment.
3. Joined-up care for high-risk adults
Exploring how complex weight management services, working with a digital provider, could offer more coordinated care, improve access to treatment and provide better continuity of care for people with complex needs.
While each addresses a different aspect of the challenge, together they reflect the need to act across prevention and treatment to improve population health outcomes.
These priorities are not intended to represent everything that could or should be done to tackle obesity across North West London. Instead, they provide a focus for action in areas where innovation and partnership could make a meaningful difference.
Preparing for Delivery
With Discovery complete, the Mission has now entered a short Operationalisation phase to prepare for Delivery.
Over the coming weeks, the team will focus on developing the recommended innovations into practical delivery plans, assessing their potential impact and clarifying the roles of different partners.
Alongside this, work is underway with partners and residents to develop the Mission’s governance and engagement models, including how residents will continue to contribute to and shape the Mission during Delivery.
The team will also review the Mission statement in light of the findings from Discovery, ensuring it continues to provide a clear, shared direction for Delivery.
Discovery has given the Mission a clearer focus and a strong foundation for the work ahead. The next challenge is to turn that shared ambition into action, working with partners across North West London to deliver meaningful, lasting change.
