Healthy ETE-ing Rotterdam

1. Healthy ETE-ing Rotterdam Feasibility study for a tool to help parents and children eat healthy meals Design for Impact Annet Bruil mail@annetbruil.com +31 (0)6 1825 4166

2. Healthy ETE-ing Rotterdam Innovation Obesity among youth is a worldwide growing problem and urban environments have higher obesity rates. In the city of Rotterdam (The Netherlands) this translates to 1 out of 4 children being overweight. Both excessive amounts and lack of variety in food intake are important determinants of obesity. Only 19% of the 2-3 year olds and nearly none of the 4-6 year olds eat enough vegetables. Based on the effect the ETE portion control plate has on healthy eating behaviour, we have the intention to develop tools to help children adhere to the right portions and to support parents in their upbringing. Prevention as a new function of public tools gives new meaning to social inclusion and health literacy by making information tangible and practical opposed to cognitive.

3. Healthy ETE-ing Rotterdam Design Thinking is used during this feasibility study. Qualitative research is conducted and stakeholders are brought together to co-design the requirements of the tool. A tool co-created by stakeholders in Singapore is taken as the starting point; would such a tool work in the Dutch context too? The project is headed by a social designer. The feasibility study aims to come up with a project proposal for further development of the tool through co-creation and prototyping with involvement of many stakeholders; the city council, the center of Youth & Family, the Dutch Nutrition center, families and diverse knowledge partners. Stakeholder mapping, journey mapping, business model canvas, interviewing and observation are all being used during the feasibility study. Design approach

4. Healthy ETE-ing Rotterdam This project stems from the Design Thinking project done in Singapore by the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and ThinkPlace. Together, and with many other stakeholders, they came up with a tool to help parents portion the meals for their kids. Based on an effect study to their adult portion control plate (ETE Plate), they believe a child-version would nudge parents & children to eat healthier portions too. A relevant problem in both Singapore and Netherlands, the designer (a former employee of ThinkPlace Singapore) brought back this perspective to Netherlands and challenges the public institutions to think beyond education (programs) and to collaborate for a sustainable use of a tool. Connection with existing local initiatives is sought to learn and build on each other’s experience. The project responds to the growing health gap in Rotterdam; people from low SES groups have lower life expectancy and lower quality of life. Those with high SES live longer (+7 years), healthier lives (+18 years in good health). Relation to the urbanscape

5. Healthy ETE-ing Rotterdam Scaling up prospects We see that this project is potentially transferable to other Dutch cities, and possibly to other European contexts. We expect that finding the right (local) business case is key to scaling up. Many local initiatives are temporary and can only sustain on government funding. We will have to activate local stakeholders to invest their time and money to make a sustainable business case without leaning too much on government (funding). Another key factor is to become part of a system of local interventions; using existing knowledge and adding to it.