Health and wellbeing

Forum meetings

Between October 2016 and June 2017, our topic is 'health, wellbeing and sustainability' and each term, we are exploring a different theme. First, in October, November and December, we focused on the determinants of health and wellbeing in places . We started by exploring these connections in places...

Theme 1: Places

Our topic is ‘connecting health, wellbeing and sustainability’ and in the first term of the academic year, we talked about places. In the first term (October, November and December) of the academic year, the meetings examined internal and external environments and how they can be designed to...

Living and working

This was the first meeting of the term and we will explore connections between health, wellbeing and sustainability in places where we live and work. Our first witness was Ron Bakker , a Founding Partner of PLP Architects. He has a particular interest in the architectural techniques that influence...

Space for people and nature

This month is the second in a series of three meetings focused on 'places' and we turned to green spaces in cities and the way in which they can be designed to benefit people's health, bring communities together and have a positive effect on the environment. Our first expert witness was Professor...

Catalyzing change in places

In our final meeting of term, we explored the role that policy, industry and communities could play in shaping cities in ways that benefit people and the environment. Our first expert witness was Craig Bennett , the CEO of Friends of the Earth. Having spent most of his career as an environmental...

Theme 2: Diets

Our overarching theme forges connections between health, wellbeing and sustainability and this term we are focusing on diets and lifestyles. At the first meeting in January, we started by looking at how our diets may change in the future and ways in which these changes could impact the environment...

Theme 3: Our changing world

Our topic is ‘connecting health, wellbeing and sustainability’ and in the final term of the academic year, we are focusing on 'our changing world'. In May, we will build on some of the discussions we had during our first term when we talked about where we live and work, to discuss 'blue and green...

Taking a global view

In the first meeting of a series of three on diets and lifestyles, we started by looking at how our diets may change in the future and ways in which these changes could impact the environment. On the witnesses panel, Dr Michael Obersteiner , the Program Director of the Ecosystems Services and...

Shaping what we choose to eat

Our overarching theme this year forges connections between health, wellbeing and sustainability. This meeting is the second in a series of three about diets and lifestyles and the panel of witnesses helped us to explore factors that shape and drive what people choose to eat. Our first witness was...

Catalyzing change in our diets

In the final meeting to draw connections between our diets, our health and wellbeing, and sustainability, the three witnesses helped us to think about ways in which policy could - and should - shape what we eat. As always for the last meeting of term, our working title is 'catalysing change' and...

Our current topic

This year, our topic aims to draw connections between health, wellbeing and sustainability and so far, we have explored where we live and work, and the food we eat. Forum meetings So far this year, researchers from 23 University of Cambridge departments, institutes and centres have joined a rich...

Outputs

Two reports explore key ideas related to our theme this year and explore connections between health, wellbeing and sustainability in the context of where we live and the food we eat. As always, a panel of three witnesses will join us each month and to provide their perspective on gaps and future...

Public events

Three events at the Science Festival in 2016 and 2017 brought together panels of experts to explore questions related to the food we eat and the role that policy could - and should - play in shaping our diets. Our daily bread – what are we eating? At the 2017 Science Festival, archaeobotanist...

My perspective on catalyzing change in our diets

As described in 21st March 2017 summary , the Forum discussion revolved around the action required to catalyze change in our food system and global diets, and featured Dr Brent Loken, Professor Theresa Marteau and Professor Tim Lang as the guest witnesses. Reflecting on the discussion, I’ve posed...

My perspective on shaping our diets

As described in 21st February 2017 summary , the Forum discussion revolved around factors that shape and drive what people choose to eat and featured Professor Martin White , Bee Wilson and Professor Charles Godfray as the guest witnesses. Professor Martin White emphasized that inexpensiveness and...

My perspective on taking a global view

The Forum meeting on 17th January 2017 was the first I have been to. I came away with a list of innovations I wanted to research and papers to read, but I also left feeling exasperated at the scale of these different, complex problems and despondent at our failure to take action. Surely we need...

From theory to reality

This month, we built on some of the discussions we had during our first term when we talked about where we live and work, to discuss 'blue and green cities: from theory to reality'. Our first witness was Dr David Cope , the Director of Strategy and External Affairs at the Royal Botanical Gardens...

Inspired by nature

Green spaces in cities has been a recurring theme and this month, the panel of witnesses helped us to think about how to design, engineer and create parks, gardens and other green spaces so that they benefit people's health, their wellbeing and the environment. Our first witness was Andrew Grant ...