The Actions Hub 

Everyone can be part of transforming society

The rise in obesity prevalence over the last 30 years is mainly a biological response (mainly determined by genetic predisposition) to modern environments that promote unhealthier foods, stress, physical inactivity, and weight gain. Obesity is a societal challenge which requires government, individuals, employers, academia, investors, local communities, the food industry, and the healthcare and social sectors to take action and collaborate. The causes and effects of obesity are systemic, varied and extend beyond individual responsibility. 

Click on the coloured buttons below to explore action areas.

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The Obesity Collective has collaboratively developed a range of actions to help reduce the negative impacts of obesity in Australia. Whether you are acting on behalf of yourself, your organisation or your community, there are options for you to get involved to reduce the impact and stigma of obesity. These actions are in line with and compliment the three Ambitions from the National Obesity Strategy.

Reduce Weight Stigma

Weight stigma, bias and discrimination. How can you help shift the harmful narrative around obesity?
Individual / family
Options to help reduce stigma, bias and discrimination:
  • Think about your attitudes and beliefs about body weight and how this might affect your behaviour 
  • Learn more about obesity facts and why it can be challenging to lose weight and keep it off for some people
  • Understand that providing unsolicited advice about weight management can be hurtful and harmful to someone who has obesity
  • Question whether you need to refer to anyone by their size or weight at all  
  • Contact media when they portray people in stigmatising ways 
  • Share education resources with your health and/or social care team
  • Your value is not determined by your weight. Practicing self-compassion and kindness, despite any perceived flaws, can help protect us from harms related to self stigma, and believing negative stereotypes about weight 
Resources/steps:

* this resource needs to be developed. If you would like to help us, please contact us.

Healthcare and social care practitioners / public health
Options to help reduce stigma, bias and discrimination:
  • Reflect on your attitudes and beliefs about body weight and size and how this could impact patients
  • Undertake training to better understand obesity and stigma 
  • Promote a patient-centred, non-judgmental and respectful counselling and communication approach 
  • Consider potential stigmatising framing in all communications 
  • Engage with people with lived experience in the development of communications and services 
  • Be aware that the topic can be sensitive and people have different preferences for terminology for body shape and size such as ‘high weight’, ‘larger body’, ‘fat’, ‘with weight’, ‘bigger body’ etc.
  • Provide safe, welcoming and accessible facilities that can accommodate larger bodies (e.g., chairs, beds, scales, BP cuffs and gowns) 
Resources/steps:
Researchers / academics
Options to help reduce stigma, bias and discrimination:
  • Consider framing in grant submissions and papers – is obesity being oversimplified to simple personal choices? 
  • Include people with lived experience in the development of research projects if possible, with financial compensation for their time and contributions 
  • Support research on how to monitor and reduce weight stigma in Australia in various settings (e.g., healthcare, schools, workplaces) 
Resources/steps:

* this resource needs to be developed. If you would like to help us, please contact us.

Employers / businesses
Options to help reduce stigma, bias and discrimination:
  • Include obesity bias and discrimination risks into diversity and inclusion training
  • Consider the needs of people with obesity from a physical space perspective: is it safe and is it comfortable?
  • Use inclusive language and images for internal and expert communications
Resources/steps:

* this resource needs to be developed. If you would like to help us, please contact us.

NGOs / health charities
Options to help reduce stigma, bias and discrimination:
  • Obesity is a relevant topic for many health conditions – please consider how the topic is framed in communications and whether it is being oversimplified to just personal choices 
Resources/steps:
Media
Options to help reduce stigma, bias and discrimination:
  • Avoid negative and stigmatising portrayals of people with obesity through language and image choices 
  • Use person-first language in reporting 
  • Recognise the many complex drivers of obesity and don’t oversimplify the messaging to just personal control 
  • Adopt training and guidelines for weight stigma
  • Include the perspective of someone living with obesity
Resources/steps:
Governments
 Options to help reduce stigma, bias and discrimination:
  • Implement the National Obesity Strategy stigma related actions
  • Develop policies to discourage weight stigma (implicit and explicit), bias and discrimination  
  • Support education and campaign initiatives to reduce weight bias 
  • Include weight stigma education/information on health websites  
  • Support research on how to monitor and reduce weight stigma in Australia in various settings (e.g. healthcare, schools, workplaces) 
  • Consult people with lived experience for government statements, plans, policies, and campaigns to help reduce risks of unintentional stigma 
  • Use inclusive language and images for internal and expert communications
  • Be aware of which government strategies include weight stigma
  • Develop a review and training process to reduce weight stigma in clinics and facilities
Resources/steps:
  • Read these published resources to better understand the importance of policies and action to reduce weight stigma, bias and discrimination
  • Policy brief on how governments can help reduce implicit and explicit weight stigma, bias and discrimination*
  • Take a look at our federal government strategy map

* this resource needs to be developed. If you would like to help us, please contact us.

Healthier Environments

To reduce the impacts of obesity on people’s health and wellbeing, we need changes in the community that target the social, economic and commercial drivers of obesity.
Individual / family
Action options to improve environments:
  • Advocate for healthier environments to key decision makers in your community and your state and federal members of parliament
  • Ask for healthier food options to be a priority and nutrition standards at your local childcare centre, school, hospital and workplace
  • Support campaigns to minimise unhealthy food advertising to children in all formats
  • Support local infrastructure projects that invest in green spaces, walking paths and active transport
  • Support local and national organisations on social media that are trying to create healthier environments
  • Focus personal investments, superannuation and consumer spending on sustainable/ethical companies that support healthier environments
  • Support, volunteer at, or donate to, businesses, programs and charities that are working to improve environments to be healthier
  • Provide healthier foods at home, school and work and when catering for events and parties
Resources/steps:
Healthcare and social care providers / public health
Options to improve environments:
  • Stay up to date on the evidence of how environments affect people’s health and wellbeing and health behaviours
  • Advocate for and/or adopt policies for procurement, provision, and promotion of sustainable and healthy food within facilities and retail vendors within facilities (public and private)
  • Consider a patient’s home and community environment in the delivery of obesity care/treatment
  • Help advocate for healthier environments for the community
Resources/steps:
Researchers / academics

Options to improve environments:
  • Help reinforce that obesity is a systems challenge and that no one solution alone is going to reduce health impacts
  • Contribute to the evidence for the best physical activity and healthy food environment initiatives for the planet and people’s health  
  • Support decision makers with evidence on the value of prevention
  • Engage with communication, translation and implementation science experts to improve the likelihood of community impact
  • Contribute to government policy consultations related to food, nutrition and obesity, in collaboration with other groups
  • Contribute to evidence that highlights the impact that the built environment, access and availibity of active transport and green spaces has on health and wellbeing, particularly in relation to obesity

Resources/steps:

NGOs / charities
Action options to improve environments:
  • Professional and peak bodies can advocate for, partner with advocacy groups, and create statements in support of healthier environments for healthier populations.
  • Consider the role your organisation can play in providing healthier environments
  • Contribute to government policy consultations related to food, nutrition and obesity, in collaboration with other groups
  • Incorporate voices of those with lived experience of weight issues in formulating relevant objectives and programs
Resources/steps:
    Food and beverage organisations
    Action options to improve environments:
    • Create and invest in products that are healthier and more sustainable 
    • Focus marketing activities on products that are healthier and more sustainable, while ensuring the children are not exposed to marketing of unhealthy products
    • Adopt clear and transparent product labelling related to health and environmental sustainability
    • Assess the environmental and health impact of products and marketing and incorporate these assessments into new product development and investment decisions
    • Disclose and report on the impact of products and packaging on health and the environment with a view to shifting the portfolio of products available to be more healthy and environmentally sustainable over time 
    • Collaborate with external experts in nutrition and public health to help improve the nutritional quality of your products
    Resources/steps:
    Private sector / employers
    Action options to improve environments:
    • Provide healthier food options for employees, customers and visitors 
    • Ensure facilities are accessible via public transport or active transport options where possible (walking, cycling) to promote physical activity
    • Ensure adequate time and facilities for employees to have quality meals at work
    Resources/steps:
    • Evaluate the food supplied for employees, customers and visitors to focus on healthy and environmentally friendly options where possible 
    • Limit unhealthy food in vending machines, canteens and at workplace events/fundraising 
    • Provide free water for employees, visitors and customers 
    • Check out our report developed in collaboration with PwC on Obesity as an Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) consideration
    • Ensure facilities are accessible via public transport or active transport options where possible (walking, cycling) to promote physical activity 
    • Provide incentives/support (e.g., end station showers) for staff to use active transport and consider physical activity opportunities (e.g., programs) and measures for occupational health and safety 
    Local community / local government
    Action options to improve environments:
    • Develop and invest in community strategies that focus on healthier environments. Involve local leaders (including those outside of healthcare) 
    • Support local schools, early childcare settings and workplaces to implement healthier environments
    Resources/steps:
    • Develop local strategies to improve environments through local leadership – see resources and guidance here 
    • Invest in implementation of and support of local leadership to improve local communities 
    • Use the tool Healthy Active by Design for local area planning
    • Create free or subsidised community programs that encourage healthy cooking and physical activity
    • Encourage local restaurants and food producers to provide healthier food and limit unhealthy food
    • Ensure that all foods provided / procured by the council are healthy and sustainable
    • Local area planning: Invest in green spaces, footpaths, cycling infrastructure, water fountains and active transport options. Increase destinations within walking and bicycling distance   
    Governments
    Action options to improve environments:
    • Implement the National Obesity Strategy healthy environments related actions
    • Implement comprehensive regulations to protect children from exposure to unhealthy food marketing
    • Implement a health levy on manufacturers of sugary drinks to incentivise and accelerate reformulation of these products and support funding for other important obesity prevention, treatment and stigma activities
    • Be aware of, and build upon, existing government strategies for the promotion of healthier environments
    • Building and supporting healthy and active environments that create spaces and places for walking, cycling and recreational physical activity for people of all ages
    • Support policies and regulations to improve healthy food environments, active transport and opportunities for physical activity
    • Develop and invest in a national Physical Activity Strategy and Action Plan which includes investments in healthier built environments
    • Support monitoring of population health metrics to understand progress/impact of healthier communities
    • Provide funding for local communities to develop place-based initiatives that support healthier environments 
    • Provide funding and implementation resources for the National Prevention Strategy and National Obesity Strategy
    • Support fiscal incentives and local planning legislation to prioritise healthier food and built environments
    • Mandate and improve the Health Star Rating system to ensure that consumers have the tools to support the purchase of healthier options
    Resources/steps:

    Healthier Behaviours

    Healthful dietary patterns and regular physical activity are good for people’s health in general, regardless of weight. Most Australians are not meeting the recommendations. Setting goals to improve healthful behaviours is a part of both weight and health management approaches and should be evidence based.
    Individual / family
    Action options to support healthier behaviours:
    • Learn about how healthful behaviours related to physical activity, healthy eating, sleep and stress management can support weight management while having overall positive impacts on the body and mind
    • Learn more about obesity facts and why it is challenging for some people to reduce weight and keep it off
    • If you are looking for programs to support changes in your own or your family’s behaviours, try to find evidence based programs, techniques and strategies
    Resources/steps:
    Healthcare and social care practitioners / public health
    Action options to support healthier behaviours:
    • Find out more about the science of obesity, why some people gain weight more easily, and why it can be challenging for some people to lose weight and keep it off
    • Understand that physical activity, healthy eating, sleep and stress management can support weight management but importantly are also generally good for the body and mind
    • Provide non-judgemental guidance based on motivational interviewing techniques for patients seeking to manage their weight based on their personal needs/preference
    • Refer patients to programs that are evidence-based and find out if programs are available locally
    • Consider whether allied health and other specialists may be required to support a patient with their health goals
    • Recognise that lifestyle interventions can improve wellbeing and health outcomes even if a person’s weight does not change
    • Be mindful of the influence of social and environmental settings
    Resources/steps:
    Researchers / academics
    Action options to support healthier behaviours:
    • Find out more about the science of obesity, why some people gain weight more easily, and why it can be challenging for some people to lose weight and keep it off
    • Identify gaps in service provision and develop evidence-based programs across the lifespan
    • Acknowledge that no one behaviour change approach will be appropriate for everyone, that behaviours are embedded in everyday life and change requires a systems approach
    • Consider feasibility, implementation and translation requirements for evidence-based behaviour change techniques and strategies for delivery at scale
    • Consider community and consumer involvement to more effectively understand, identify, and address the needs, barriers, and facilitators for behaviour change among our most vulnerable population groups
    Potential resources/steps:
      Employers / businesses
      Action options to support healthier behaviours:
      • Employers can support access to high quality, evidence informed health and wellbeing programs that incorporate evidence-based behaviour change techniques and strategies while also considering stigma in all communications
      • Health insurers can support evidence-based health behaviour change options to reduce health risks
      Potential resources/steps:
      NGOs / health charities
      Action options to support healthier behaviours:
      • Find out more about the science of obesity, why some people gain weight more easily, and why it can be challenging for some people to lose weight and keep it off
      • Recognise that obesity is much more complex than simple behaviour change choices
      • There are many lifestyle guidance websites available, so more aren’t needed. Refer to evidence-based sources for chronic disease prevention and weight management
      • Support public awareness campaigns that support healthy behaviours
      Potential resources/steps:
      Local community / local government
      Action options to support healthier behaviours:
      • Support no or low-cost physical activity groups that are suitable for various levels of fitness, reflect the cultural needs of your community, and are size inclusive
      • Local strategies include evidence-based environments and behaviour change components for healthy eating and physical activity. Invest in local implementation and track progress and outcomes
      • Schools provide or facilitate the provision of evidence-based programs that incorporate evidence-based behaviour change techniques and strategies for children and adolescents
      Potential resources/steps:
      Governments
      Action options to support healthier behaviours:
      • Implement the National Obesity Strategy
      • Support a credible and independent communication of evidence and advice around healthy diets and physical activity and fact-check and myth-bust the latest fads and health claims
      • Support informed consumer decisions through the continued funding of the health star rating system (and other nutrition signposting). This includes ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and promotion to raise awareness and understanding of the system, and drive uptake by industry
      • Governments are major employers: Fund high-quality, evidence informed employee health and wellbeing programs that incorporate evidence-based behaviour change techniques and strategies that also consider weight stigma in communications
      • Support nutrition and physical activity as national research priorities
      • Support local communities to invest in accessible, evidence-based and affordable local community programs
      • Support healthy eating and active living policies and physical literacy in preschool, primary and secondary schools
      • Be aware of existing government strategies that support healthy living
      Potential resources/steps:

      Health Services and Obesity Treatment

      There can be many physical and mental health benefits to weight management for people living with obesity, however, there is no one approach that works for everyone. Some people will require support from a healthcare professional to manage their health goals, and their ability to manage their weight will vary.
      Individual / family
      Options to improve access to healthcare:
      • If you have obesity and are concerned about your health, you can initiate a conversation about it with a primary care health professional or consider booking an appointment with your GP to discuss weight-related health
      • Ask your healthcare provider or look for the evidence about effective options to help you to improve your health. It can be helpful to identify longer term and more sustainable options for weight management
      • Inform yourself about the science of obesity. Learn about why blaming and shaming someone for their weight isn’t fair or helpful and why weight loss and regain is challenging
      • Family support for treatment to optimise health is important. Judgement based on weight, weight loss progress, or the level of healthcare support needed is not helpful
      • Weight can be a difficult and sensitive topic for everyone. Special care is needed when considering conversations with children and adolescents
      Resources/steps:
      Healthcare and social care practitioners / public health
      Options to improve access to healthcare:
      • Recognise that lifestyle interventions can improve wellbeing and health outcomes even if a person’s weight does not change
      • Undertake training opportunities to understand the biology of obesity, evidence-based management and support options, referral pathways and subsidised options
      • Be aware of, and reflect on your own weight bias and how this may affect your treatment of patients living with obesity. Fear of judgement and shame may hold some people back from asking for healthcare support
      • Understand that obesity has complex drivers, and the drivers of a person’s weight need to be understood and considered for effective obesity treatment
      • Consider barriers to patient’s participation in community programs and/or health services (considering inequities and potential social service needs)
      • Ensure that clinics accommodate larger bodies in waiting room areas and in clinician’s rooms to provide a safe and trusted space for patients
      • Include people with lived experience in the development of hospital/services guidelines and solutions
      Resources/steps:
      Researchers / academics
      Options to improve access to healthcare:
      • Include the lived experience perspective in research design and solutions development
      • Consider implementation and translation requirements to ensure sustainability of sought solutions
      • Focus outcome measures on more than just absolute weight loss
      Resources/steps:
      NGOs / charities
      Options to improve access to healthcare:
      • Advocate for equitable access to evidence-based treatment and care options
      • Help raise awareness that obesity is not just about personal choice and has many complex factors
      Resources/steps:
        Governments
        Options to improve access to healthcare:
        • Implement the National Obesity Strategy Ambition 3 actions related to early intervention and care
        • Be aware of other existing government policies that support obesity care and treatment
        • Acknowledge that obesity is a systems challenge and that no one solution is going to work for everyone
        • Fund evidence-based treatment and care options
        • Develop nationally consistent and high-quality tools, resources, standards, information, referral pathways and guidance for obesity care
        • Support obesity care training for healthcare professionals
        • Include the lived experience as an expert voice in the development of guidelines and solutions
        • Support the translation and implementation of high-quality research
        • Ensure regular and comprehensive data collection of appropriate indicators of weight-related health markers to enable the planning of weight and health services to meet these needs
        Resources/steps: