outh are read to re-imagine a better world! Join us on World Health Day, April 7th to hear stories and words of wisdom from young people who have been galvanising momentum and working on campaigns and projects to create societies that keep humans and the planet healthy, whilst protecting children’s rights.

The episode is hosted by Claudia Batz, Policy and Projects Coordinator at the World Obesity Federation, and Dara Karakolis, Co-coordinator of the Act4Food Act4Change Campaign.

They speak to Dev Sharma, British Campaigner, and Youth Activist. Dev is the Youth MP for West Hampshire & Chair of Bite Back 2030, Youth leader Act4Food Act4Change, a youth-led movement campaigning for an urgent and radical transformation of food systems. 

D’Arcy Williams, Programme Officer at UNICEF HQ based in NYC also gives useful insights on UNICEFs portfolio of work on food systems and climate. D’Arcy works on the prevention of childhood overweight & obesity in low- and middle-income countries, with a special focus on youth engagement in food system transformation. 

Useful links

• UNICEF Fix My Food Report
• Bite Back 2030 – read their latest #SpillTheBeans and #Don't Hide What's Inside report. 
• UNICEF’s Voices of Youth Platform offers inspiring, original insight and opinion from young people across the globe.
• Explore World Obesity Federation’s youth-facing and capacity building platform, Healthy Voices

Guests

• Dev Sharma – @DevSharmaMVP
• D’Arcy Williams - @monsieur_dArcy_ 

Thanks to the Podcast Company and Jonathan Hart for production and editing. The podcast was produced with support from the Wellcome Trust.

See you next time!

Did you know that our current food systems produce between 20-35% of global greenhouse gas emissions? But how can reverse the issues presented in the Global Syndemic?

The second episode re-introduces the Global Syndemic of Obesity, Undernutrition and Climate Change report that was published by the Lancet Commission on Obesity in 2019 and focuses on discussing how and why we can transform our food systems.

The episode is hosted by Claudia Batz, Policy and Projects Coordinator at the World Obesity Federation, and Dara Karakolis, Co-coordinator of the Act4Food Act4Change Campaign.

They speak to Prof Corinna Hawkes, Professor of Food Policy at City, University London. She was also a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Obesity amongst many other roles! Read her regular blog here.

Claudia and Dara are also joined by Bernis Cunningham – Director of the Planting Change Foundation in Nicaragua and Act4Food Act4Change leader. Bernis is dedicated to engaging youth and communities in environmental management. 

Useful links

• Lancet Global Syndemic of Obesity, Undernutrition and Climate Change Report.
• World Obesity Federation’s Policy Dossier on Food Systems and Obesity.
• Planting Change Foundation
• Global Youth Statement for leaders @COP26.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report (2022)

Guests

1. Prof. Corinna Hawkes - @CorinnaHawkes 
2. Bernis Cunningham 

Thanks to the Podcast Company and Jonathan Hart for production and editing. The podcast was produced with support from the Wellcome Trust.

Governments need to take action to deliver urgent responses to the climate crisis which benefits health!

The first episode explores the linkages between climate and health, sharing insights on the benefits of a health-centred response to the climate crises with a spotlight on the Philippine’s and the Middle East. We also hear more about the Health and Climate Network (HCN) and its’ priority recommendations on food systems and diet. 

The episode is hosted by Claudia Batz, Policy and Projects Coordinator at the World Obesity Federation, and Dara Karakolis, Co-coordinator of the Act4Food Act4Change Campaign. Claudia and Dara met through their affiliation with Young Leaders for Health in 2019.

They speak to Dr. Renzo Guinto, the emerging leader in planetary health, sustainable development, and the decolonisation of global health. Renzo is the Chief Planetary Health Scientist and Co-Founder of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Concurrently, he is Associate Professor of the Practice of Global Public Health and Inaugural Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Centre College of Medicine in the Philippines.

They also hear inspiring insights about the work of the Health Climate Network from Lujain Alqodmani. Lujain is a physician by training and the Director of Global Action & Senior Adviser to the Executive Chair at EAT. She also represents EAT on the HCN.

Useful links

• Learn more about the Health and Climate Network and key recommendations emerging from its briefing on diet and food systems.
• Read the EAT Globe Scan Grains of Truth Report published in September 2021.
• Join the Act4Food Act4Change youth-led movement in support of GoodFood4All.

Guests

1. Dr. Renzo Guinto - @Renzo Guinto
2. Dr. Lujain Alqodmani - @LujainAlqodmani

Thanks to the Podcast Company and Jonathan Hart for production and editing. The podcast was produced with support from the Wellcome Trust.

In this final episode of our mini-series we look at some of the big solutions in action to address obesity, hearing from people working on the front lines at national and local levels. Across different contexts the message is the same: giving up is not an option!

Taxes on products like cigarettes and alcohol have helped enable major public health gains, but can they also work on sugary drinks too? We go to Mexico to hear about the realities of implementing a sugar tax and front-of-package labeling in a country where Coca Cola is king.

Then we travel to London to learn about some innovations in urban health that are improving the lives of children in some of the city's poorest neighbourhoods. Action on childhood obesity should always be evidence-based, but what counts as evidence? And how will we know what works without trying?
 
Finally, hear from some passionate young people in Portugal about what they believe youth engagement could and should look like and what they believe we should prioritize in policymaking.

The episode is co-hosted by Faith Newsome, student researcher and founder of OCEANS Support and Advocacy Group and Claudia Batz, policy coordinator at World Obesity.

GUESTS

Lesly Vejar @inspmx
Sarah Hickey @ImpUrbanHealth
Malfado and Pedro @EU_COCREATE

USEFUL LINKS

Explore Healthy Voices

Read the CO-CREATE Youth Declaration

Learn about the fight for better for better food labelling in Mexico and the Impact on Urban Health childhood obesity programme

Find out more about the CO-CREATE project 

WHO factsheet on NCDs

Why obesity is a disease too

Thanks to Luwaiza Mirza for her reporting and to Marina Poole for stellar production and editing. The artwork for the series was designed by multi-talented woman in global health Lilly Khorsand.

Schools are for education but they also have an unique opportunity to help kids get the nutrition they need and to encourage healthy choices. Yet around the world, poor policy and corporate pressures that put profit above children’s wellbeing make it hard for schools to be the healthy environments they should be. 

COVID-19 had brought these issues to the forefront: with schools closed, not only has education been disrupted, for many children  ‘the meal at the school is the only meal of the day’.  More time at home can also mean increased snacking, less exercise and as we heard on the last episode, more exposure to advertising of junk food. These are just a few components that can interact with other genetic, physiological, and environmental factors to contribute to obesity risk.

In this episode we explore how with young people at the helm, schools can become champions for their student's health. We'll also learn about the important role culture (did you know that rice can cry?!) and family life (we love grandmothers really!) play, potentially undermining the impact of school-based interventions  when done without comprehensive community engagement.

The episode is co-hosted by Faith Newsome, student researcher and founder of OCEANS Support and Advocacy Group and Claudia Batz, policy coordinator at World Obesity. 

GUESTS

• Pierre Cooke Jr., Prime Minister of Barbados National Youth Parliament, and Technical Advisor at the Healthy Caribbean Coalition @pierrekcookejnr
• Dr Aastha Chugh, Research Officer at HRIDAY India @chugh_aastha
• Dr Sarah Czernin, MD and childhood obesity researcher at OEAIE Austria @sarahczernin

USEFUL LINKS

Learn more about people first language in this great summary by the Obesity Action Coalition.

World Obesity’s Policy Dossier

My Healthy Caribbean School 

The double burden of malnutrition 

Thanks to Marina Poole for production and editing. The artwork for the series was designed by multi-talented woman in global health Lilly Khorsand.

All of us have heard of subliminal messaging in advertising, but we may not be aware of the impact the ads we see everyday have on our health. Luckily, young people are fighting back. Our first episode will look at the challenges around regulating marketing to children, especially in the digital sphere.

The episode is hosted by Faith Newsome, student researcher and founder of OCEANS Support and Advocacy Group. She speaks to Katy Cooper, public health consultant and chair of the UK Working Group on Non-Communicable Diseases. Faith also chats with youth campaigner Tasha Mhakayakora who is part of Biteback 2030. Check out Biteback's social experiment video, The Shocking Effects of Junk Food Advertising!

We also hear clips from school children describing the power of food advertising , which are taken from the Food Diaries project led by UCL’s Centre for Gender and Health.

Other resources linked to the topic discussed:

Learn more about people first language in this great summary by the Obesity Action Coalition.

World Obesity’s Policy Dossier 

UNICEF report on Children and Digital Marketing

WHO report on Food Marketing

Thanks to Marina Poole for production and editing. The artwork for the series was designed by multi-talented woman in global health Lilly Khorsand.