Healthy Weight Research Themes

Priority Research Themes

Our work is carried out across four workstreams. Click below to explore the research projects we are conducting under each of these themes.

Navigate to Lifecourse Prevention & Weight Management Workstream

Lifecourse Prevention & Weight Management Workstream

The Lifecourse Prevention and Weight Management workstream assesses policy settings across the life-course with a particular focus on schools, families and neighbourhoods.

Navigate to Behavioural Science Workstream

Behavioural Science Workstream

The Behavioural Science Workstream establishes the environmental, social, psychological and behavioural processes contributing to weight trajectories and mental health.

Navigate to Economic Circumstances and Outcomes Workstream

Economic Circumstances and Outcomes Workstream

The Economic Circumstances and Outcomes workstream undertakes analyses to understand dietary choices and how policy can affect these choices; it will analyse responses and resilience to economic shock

Navigate to Food Systems and Policy Analysis Workstream

Food Systems and Policy Analysis Workstream

The Food Systems and Policy Analysis workstream undertakes methodological innovations in qualitative and mixed methods to evaluate the impact of policy approaches on people experiencing inequalities.

The Healthy Weight Policy Research Unit was previously called the Obesity Policy research Unit and covered the following themes:

Child and adolescent obesity: Led by Russell Viner at the Institute for Child Health (UCL)
Environment and behaviour change: Led by Andrew Steptoe and Clare Llewellyn at the Behavioural Science and Health (UCL)
Economic analysis: Led by Rachel Griffith and Britta Augsburg at the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Food systems and policy analysis: Led by Christina Vogel at City University

You can view the policy research unit outputs on our Healthy Weight Publications page.