Projects on NCDs
Developing a European portion size toolkit
Obesity increases the risk of diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Obesity rates have increased throughout the world and strategies are urgently needed help to reduce these. Many factors can influence people’s calorie intake and body weight and one of these is portion size. Most European countries do not provide consumer-facing information on portion sizes and so this is an important area in which to develop information to support European citizens in making healthier choices.
The BNF has developed portion size resources to sit alongside food-based dietary guidance from the UK Government. The work of this PoC project will be to evaluate these resources via in-depth consumer interviews and a wider ‘portion size challenge’ and to co-create revised versions with a consumer panel. Then we will talk to European stakeholders with a view to working with at least 3 EU countries to develop portion size toolkits to support countries in developing consumer information on portion size that works for their citizens.
Consortium: British Nutrition Foundation
EngAgeing* - Prevention strategies for social engagement and healthy ageing
EngAgeing is aimed to design prevention strategies for social engagement and healthy ageing through two different experiences: Break Your Routine, which consists in break talks coupled with specific gifts at work, and Smarty Foodies, which launches digital challenges in different routinely leisure spaces such us gyms, classrooms, restaurants, gourmet shops, supermarkets, etc.
Under the claim “no need to look for experiences, the experiences will find them”, EngAgeing tries to approach different targets from different perspectives with the goal of involving citizens in science and activities related to healthy habits and to prevention of non communicable diseases (NCDs), connecting with the values and priorities of EIT Food throughout gamification and citizen competitions.
The project will be designed by experts on precision nutrition and food science, gastronomy experts and chefs, and specialists in ageing and prevention of NCDs.
Consortium: IMDEA Food, UAM, BCC inno
Picture your microbes* - A co-creation participatory action to empower citizens on nutritional health decisions
#PictureYourMicrobes is a public engagement project. The main objective is to empower citizens with risk factors for developing NCDs, particularly people living with overweight or obesity, by raising awareness about the importance of caring for the bacterial communities (microbiome) living on our bodies.
To achieve this goal, we develop two participatory activities: first, a photovoice activity, a participatory action methodology where people represent a specific theme through photographs, in this case, their daily habits that can influence the microbiome's health. Second, a citizen science project in which participants will collect data and collaborate with scientific advances related to their microbiomes.
At the end of the project, we aim to join the results of both activities by creating a photovoice exhibition and an online booklet, presenting the photographs taken by the participants related to health, diet and lifestyles with infographics of the main microbial groups found in the participants' microbiome will show the linkage between microbiome and lifestyle habits to have a healthy gut.
Consortium: IMDEA Food, University of Turin, EUFIC, Danone, IARFR
Social capital in local food systems* - Increasing capabilities of diabetic people in deprived neighbourhoods
The project considers the food system as a lever to trigger social mechanisms able to strengthen people capabilities. It aims at enhancing the role of the local food system as a tool that promotes health through new relationships and alliances with other urban systems (public services, social groups, health system).
The project has 2 levels of people engagement. The final target is people suffering from chronic diseases (or at risk) related to eating habits, such as diabetes; in order to reach this goal, the project will involve health professionals, social and food industry workers and citizens to change social relationships with the final target.
Consortium: University of Turin in collaboration with EuroHealthNet
* RIS PoCs