A trusted source: introducing the Obesity Evidence Hub
A new online evidence hub is taking the guess work out of finding trusted information about obesity, writes Melina Georgousakis, Bupa Health Foundation.
Written by Melina Georgousakis
With two thirds of Australian adults now overweight or obese, there is a growing amount of information available online. A new website, The Obesity Evidence Hub, was launched last week to distinguish which information is most up-to-date, from a trustworthy source, and based on the best available evidence.
The initiative was born out of The Obesity Collective, a modern movement aiming to drive more action on obesity in Australia. What makes this movement particularly unique is that it brings together diverse individuals and organisations who collectively are committed to addressing this major health issue.
Bupa are represented among the 104 organisations who have already signed up to the collective.
In alignment with one of its principles - to be informed by evidence - the Obesity Collective put forward the need for a single resource where those with a role in obesity policy, care delivery, research and communications, can access and share up to date data.
The solution, The Obesity Evidence Hub, is an engaging and easy-to-use platform which summarises and presents the growing evidence on obesity in simple statements and sharable graphics.
To ensure credibility among users, all the data is referenced, and content authors include topic experts representing academia, clinical care and policy, who take a systematic approach to evidence review. The website also builds off the credibility of the three organisations who partnered to deliver the project; the Cancer Council Victoria, the Obesity Policy Coalition and our own Bupa Health Foundation.
As one of Australia’s leading charitable foundations dedicated to health, the Bupa Health Foundation is committed to building partnerships with the health research and healthcare communities to improve the health of the Australia Community. We are excited to see this partnership lead to a valuable resource for everyone who has an interest in improving outcomes for Australians living with overweight and obesity.
The next phase of this project is working to increase awareness among its potential users that this valuable resource exists. This will ensure as a community we are consistently using the best available evidence when communicating on obesity both within our individual organisations but also externally. Ultimately strengthening our collective voice on the importance of tackling this important public health issue, which will benefit all of society.
