In Kolding Municipality’s Health Center, we noticed a recurring problem: People struggling with weight issues kept coming back. They might loose weight through one of our programs – but once the program ended, they often gained it all back.
To address the challenge, we reimagined our programs and services from the ground up and used design thinking as both our framework and method to deeply understand the citizens we were hoping to help. What are people actually struggling with? How can we help them?
Through a series of focus groups, we found that the problem often wasn’t the weight per se, but the social stigma and lack of self worth often associated with obesity. This inspired us to create a human-centered program that prioritises meaningful life changes over weight loss.
Instead of asking people how much they were hoping to loose, we asked them: What are you hoping to gain? And how we can help you gain that and lead a meaningful life right now, regardless of your weight?
It’s clear that no two people are the same, and that’s the whole point of our individualised approach: People have different motivations and needs, and the tools we give them to drive lasting change must reflect that diversity.
Many of the people we meet at the Health Center have battled with weight issues for decades, often feeling they’ve tried everything without longterm success. So what happens when weight is no longer the actual problem?
In the program, we've introduced various measurements for success, acknowledging that a happy and healthy life is dependent on multiple factors. For one, participants experience greater self-confidence and self-esteem and a more positive body image. They also report that they’ve become more physically active and enjoy a more balanced diet.
As an interesting side effect, many wind up actually loosing weight – despite the fact that weight loss is never our focus.
