In the UK, nearly a third of all children under 15 years old are currently obese, with rates increasing. London is one of the UK’s most at-risk areas, with the highest rates of childhood obesity seen in its most deprived areas and certain minority ethnic groups disproportionately affected.

Tackling childhood obesity is a major challenge in housing estate communities, where many of the poorest Londoners reside. This research focuses on a residential community on the Stockwell Estate, London. The project uses an inclusive design approach, specifically ‘designing with communities’ in order to develop innovative and meaningful interventions to address this alarming health crisis. While other active research projects exploring childhood obesity are approaching the challenge from a clinical, street or school level, this hyperlocal project focuses on the city environment of a housing estate locality.

In the first phase, key stakeholders were identified from local organisations, such as the local authority, health practitioners, youth services and businesses, as well as the community. Several different design research activities were developed with these stakeholders in order to understand the context, challenges and needs of the people, while also nurturing relationships to build trust and an understanding of each group’s motivations, priorities and objectives.

Through mapping the factors that play a role in childhood obesity and insights from the stakeholder groups, as well as the different potential audiences involved (babies, pre-schoolers, primary
or secondary-age children, pregnant women and parents), the research team produced a design brief grounded in insights from real people. From this, several ideas have been developed through co-creation and ideation processes with residents and stakeholders, using an iterative process of prototyping, testing and refining.

This paper will report on the results from the stakeholder research and co-creation stages, as well as reflect on the methodology and engagement strategies. The nine-month design research project will continue until February 2019, as the first part of a longer-term strategy for tackling childhood obesity nationally – and even internationally – within deprived inner-city neighbourhoods.