IMPROVE

EQUITY:

Implementation of an Innovative
Model for Policy Reform Towards
Obesity Prevention

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Project Team

TNO

X, Y, Hollanda

KOÇ

Sultanbeyli,

İstanbul,Türkiye

FISABIO

X, Y, İspanya

HCU

X, Y, Almanya

SWPS

X, Y, Polonya

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SULTANBEYLİ,
İSTANBUL, TÜRKİYE

Welcome to IM-EQ!

Our website is currently under construction, but exciting developments are underway!

IM-EQ (Improving Equity in Obesity Prevention) is a 3-year EU-funded project dedicated to addressing health inequities in obesity prevention. We are a European research consortium that brings together citizens, researchers, and stakeholders to co-research and co-create innovative solutions for fostering healthy, active lifestyles—especially in deprived neighborhoods.

The project spans five countries: The Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Spain, and Türkiye. Our website will showcase the research areas and highlight the work of our stakeholders in each country.

Designed for community members, researchers, and policymakers, the website will be a hub for sharing the latest developments, news, and findings related to our project.

Stay tuned as we build this platform to inform and inspire! Together, we can pave the way toward healthier, more equitable communities.

Check back soon!

For inquiries, feel free to contact us at [your email/contact link].

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ABOUT IM-EQ

The aim of IM-EQ over a 3-year period is to develop and test an innovative strategy to reduce local health inequalities of vulnerable groups around obesity/overweight, by:

  • understanding factors that lead to health inequalities
  • a policy approach to reduce structural inequalities in obesity

Characteristics of the approach:

OUR METHODOLOGY

Overweight and obesity

Obesity is one of the world’s leading health risks, contributing to chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. With nearly 40% of adults and 18% of youth worldwide struggling with overweight or obesity, the need for effective prevention strategies has never been greater. In Europe, these numbers are even higher, with 59% of adults and 28% of youth affected.

Obesity and overweight have consequences go beyond individual health, affecting public health systems, economies, and society.

Factors such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, and insufficient sleep are key contributors to the obesity epidemic. However, the true drivers are often systemic, rooted in social health determinants, including poverty, limited access to healthy foods, unsafe environments for physical activity, and inadequate healthcare access.

IM-EQ Improve Equity research is carried out by a team with mix expertise with regard to governance and policy, urban planning, behavior change, co-creation and community engagement, public health and implementation research. Meet the team

IM-EQ shares and builds on existing methodologies, frameworks and data developed by consortium partners to identify how to harmonize data across countries, to understand contextual differences between countries, regions and settings.

RESULTS

Examples:

  • The accessibility of sports and playgrounds in the neighborhood can be improved through traffic modifications (busy roads, crosswalks, walking and cycling routes, one-way traffic).
  • The ratio of healthy vs unhealthy food outlets in the neighborhood can be improved through the environmental law by future choices for healthy food outlets and/or banning advertising of unhealthy food.
  • The school (yard) environment can be improved in terms of greenery and bicycle accessibility and become part of social sports and exercise programs with, for example, the neighborhood sports coach.

We will deliver

We will organise

OUR TEAM

Boilerplate:

IM-EQ Improve Equity is an EU-funded research project conducted by five European research institutions with five primary objectives: engagement of citizens in the policy planning decision making process, including those of low socioeconomic position (SEP), identification of the complex interplay of determinants within the obesity system, design of structural multilevel policies to promote obesity prevention actions towards health equity, evaluation of the adoption and implementation of these policy actions, dissemination of project findings to stakeholders.