Whitehouse Communications was commissioned by Slimming World, with the engagement of the National Obesity Forum and a range of other commercial weight-loss companies, to relaunch the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Obesity, provide it with a functioning secretariat, and develop an effective strategy for influencing government policy to improve public health and reduce costs to the NHS. Whitehouse secured cross-party support for the launch of the Group, engaging prominent parliamentarians from all major political parties and both Houses of Parliament to serve as its Chair and officers, and positioned the APPG as the natural forum for discussion and the most effective vehicle for parliamentary and political action on public policy on obesity. The relaunched Group’s work led indirectly to the adoption of a series of major, cross-departmental strategies published by Government to improve public health, from pre-school children to the elderly.
The challenge
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Obesity is Parliament’s dedicated cross-party forum for discussion of obesity policy. Tackling obesity is one of the greatest public health challenges in the United Kingdom, yet the dedicated forum for discussion of policy in this area had been allowed to fall into abeyance.
Slimming World commissioned Whitehouse Communications, with the engagement of the National Obesity Forum and a range of other commercial weight-loss companies to relaunch the Group with cross-party support, provide it with a functioning secretariat, and develop an effective strategy for influencing government policy to improve public health and reduce costs for the National Health Service.
Our approach
Whitehouse Communications relaunched the Group across three coordinated tracks: securing cross-party parliamentary leadership, building a substantive briefing programme with medical, scientific and campaigning voices, and running a pro-active parliamentary campaign to move the issue up the political agenda.
The work focused on:
- Securing cross-party support for the launch of the APPG, engaging prominent parliamentarians from all major political parties and both Houses of Parliament to serve as the Chair and officers of the Group.
- Developing a programme of briefing meetings with medical and scientific experts and campaigning groups to improve the quality of debate on public health policy and equip the APPG with the evidence base it needed to speak with authority.
- Developing a pro-active campaign to use the opportunities afforded in both Houses of Parliament to move the issue of obesity up the political agenda.
- Providing the Group with a functioning secretariat so that its work could be sustained meeting by meeting, term by term, and Parliament by Parliament.
The outcome
Whitehouse Communications’ support positioned the APPG on Obesity as the natural forum for discussion and the most effective vehicle for parliamentary and political action on public policy on obesity. The work led indirectly to the adoption of a series of major, cross-departmental strategies published by Government to improve public health, from pre-school children to the elderly.
For the APPG’s commissioning members, the relaunch translated a dormant parliamentary vehicle into a working forum for cross-party engagement, and gave obesity policy a sustained platform for parliamentary and political action.
