{"id":545,"date":"2025-07-04T14:24:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T13:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/?p=545"},"modified":"2025-07-04T14:24:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T13:24:08","slug":"in-conversation-with-dr-dolly-van-tulleken-policy-consultant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/2025\/07\/04\/in-conversation-with-dr-dolly-van-tulleken-policy-consultant\/","title":{"rendered":"In conversation with\u2026 Dr. Dolly van Tulleken, Policy Consultant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dolly van Tulleken\u00a0is a policy consultant and visiting researcher at the at Cambridge University\u2019s MRC Epidemiology Unit where she completed her PhD and postdoctoral position specializing in government policy processes and the history of government policy on obesity and food-related ill health in England. Her research has been published in leading journals such as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/1468-0009.12498\"><em>The Milbank Quarterly<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bmjopen.bmj.com\/content\/11\/12\/e054804\"><em>BMJ Open<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0222773\"><em>PLOS One<\/em><\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/public-health-nutrition\/article\/differences-in-energy-and-nutrient-content-of-menu-items-served-by-large-chain-restaurants-in-the-usa-and-the-uk-in-2018\/7F9057E4724F5985C360957FCD934B81\"><em>Public Health Nutrition<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0Dolly\u2019s expertise lies in analysing policy effectiveness and identifying the mechanisms that drive meaningful public health change. In 2024, she co-authored <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nesta.org.uk\/report\/nourishing-britain\/\"><em>Nourishing Britain: A Political Manual for Improving the Nation\u2019s Health<\/em><\/a> with Henry Dimbleby, which contained practical political insights about food-related health policy from 20 prime ministers, health secretaries and other senior politicians. In this conversation, Dr. Dolly van Tulleken shared with us her journey through academia, policymaking, and consultancy, focusing on driving meaningful change in the food system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/07\/DollyVT-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/07\/DollyVT-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/07\/DollyVT-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/07\/DollyVT-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/07\/DollyVT.jpg 1379w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bridging Academia and Policy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. van Tulleken highlights how her PhD research examining decades of proposed government obesity policies led her to feel a strong urgency to help effect real-world change. This prompted her return to the policy world, where she founded <em>Dolitics<\/em>, a consultancy aimed at supporting evidence-based policy change. Whilst working mostly with charity clients in her consultancy role, Dr. van Tulleken is also involved in research, remaining a visiting researcher at the MRC epidemiology unit in Cambridge. When summing up her role, Dr. van Tulleken termed herself an information broker with the aim of progressing policy. \u201c<em>Most of my work is about how to actually try and support policy change to happen and that\u2019s done through all sorts of different ways; research collaboration, liaising with policymakers, building up networks<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Power of Multidisciplinary Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While acknowledging the challenges of working across sectors and disciplines, Dr. van Tulleken emphasises that impactful change requires collective effort, sharing her motto- \u201c<em>nothing worth achieving can be achieved alone<\/em>\u201d. The expertise in her work, she points out, \u201c<em>is almost knowing who to collaborate with and learn from and where the interesting work is happening<\/em>\u201d, then being able to bring the best people together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Translating Research into Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drawing from her co-authored 2023 report, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nesta.org.uk\/report\/nourishing-britain\/\"><em>Nourishing Britain: A Political Manual for Improving the Nation\u2019s Health<\/em><\/a>, she reflects on the use of research as a tool for practical action. The manual is based on interviews with 20 senior political figures and offers guidance to future leaders on overcoming barriers to food policy reform. Dr. van Tulleken explains \u201c<em>the whole point was to give the manual to today\u2019s politicians and tomorrow\u2019s politicians and say \u2018these are the sorts of challenges your predecessors say you\u2019re very likely to face, and this is how to get over them\u2019<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advice for Early-Career Researchers and Advocates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those hoping to make an impact on obesity policy, Dr. van Tulleken encourages leaning into your strengths, embracing collaboration, and doing work that you love. She urges people not to limit themselves- whether by standing for local office, contributing to campaigns, or simply making valuable research more accessible to those in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her advice includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Be communicative:<\/strong> If you\u2019re producing work, share your research findings with people working in the space. Not a lot of people know what is being published, so package it up and be an active sharer. Translate academic findings into actionable summaries for policymakers and the public. \u201c<em>Sharing knowledge can be incredibly, incredibly powerful\u201d.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build relationships:<\/strong> Connect with local leaders, policymakers, and community groups. She adds \u201c<em>scarily, sometimes the stuff that ends up becoming very influential can be a matter of someone having a connection with that person<\/em>\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stay politically open:<\/strong> As a researcher, explore different ways to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parliament.uk\/get-involved\/research-impact-at-the-uk-parliament\/ways-to-engage-with-parliament\/\">engage with Parliament<\/a>, or consider standing for election or becoming a councillor as part of the change process. Reflecting on her own experience of standing for election, Dr. van Tulleken says \u201c<em>I stood knowing I wouldn\u2019t win, but I used the process of developing a manifesto, having a platform to speak out, to talk about these sorts of issues that I care about<\/em>\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where Policymakers Can Start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked how local authorities might begin addressing obesity, Dr. van Tulleken underscores the value of local action whilst recognising \u201c<em>lots of things need to happen all at once in order for change to be made<\/em>\u201d. She again points to the importance of building connections, citing an example of one man on a mission to create a localised food system. \u201c<em>He was building up these personal connections to see whether there could be better distribution networks, more localised systems, whether retailers would be able to have better connections with local farmers<\/em>\u201d. Dr. van Tulleken sees local authorities having an enormous amount of power, referring to examples such as banning junk food advertising on public transport and building local food networks as effective grassroots strategies. She also points to the Scottish <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/policies\/food-and-drink\/good-food-nation\/\"><em>Good Food Nation Act<\/em><\/a> as a promising model for long-term, localised food planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Navigating Weight Stigma<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked about how we can avoid the trap of individual blame and stigma around weight, Dr. van Tulleken shares her frustrations with the food system being a \u201c<em>primary driver of health problems<\/em>\u201d. She points out \u201c<em>the cards are stacked against everyone to enjoy a healthy life, which I think is completely ludicrous<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>The more attention is on the food system and on the large corporations that are benefitting the most from this system, the more we move away from the blame on the individual and we understand that we\u2019re actually all operating in this system<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This pressure on those who are benefiting from the system, she notes, is how we can move away from stigma and shame, and allow people to recognise that \u201c<em>their health, their eating, food, weight, whatever- it usually all links to the food system that we\u2019re in<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. van Tulleken recognises that \u201c<em>even talking about it, even when trying to counter against stigma, shame and blame, it can be really hard<\/em>\u201d. When telling people she works in food policy, people respond with \u2018oh no don\u2019t look at what I\u2019m eating\u2019, or \u2018don\u2019t judge me for my lunch\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>You\u2019ve still got this notion that you\u2019re there judging, and I think it\u2019s a really important responsibility of people working in this space to actively be aware of that and how we can communicate in a way that shows this is about making sure everyone can enjoy a nourishing diet and have affordable access to that<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The biggest gaps in Obesity Research<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked about pressing research priorities, Dr. van Tulleken highlights that there is very little activity in what a sustainable, health-promoting food system could actually look like- especially at the local level. She urges researchers and policymakers to not only study this, but to experiment, prototype, and learn by doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>You have to kind of experiment- it really takes innovation, experimentation, confidence and risk by policy makers and researchers in this space to just try things. Monitor it, see what works, see what doesn&#8217;t work, but with the ambition of going how can we make a nourishing food system commercially viable?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local authorities, she says, are well-positioned to pilot these innovations despite limited resources, and she sees promise in Scotland\u2019s <em>Good Food Nation Act<\/em>, which mandates government-backed local food planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Challenges and Joys of the Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding non-conflicting funding not tied to powerful food corporations emerges as the biggest barrier for Dr. van Tulleken in her work. \u201c<em>If you have very strict rules about where you get funding from, the pots that are available are very limited<\/em>\u201d. Though she does note that policy-backed initiatives like Scotland\u2019s <em>Good<\/em> <em>Food Nation Act<\/em> may signal progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a more positive note, she enjoys the clarity and purpose in her day-to-day work and the joy of collaborating with passionate colleagues, including family members-something she sees as a unique privilege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s Next<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking ahead, Dr. van Tulleken hopes to continue conducting deep-dive research while improving how findings are communicated. \u201c<em>Filling in the gaps of the research that we need to continue making happen, with no excuses for that being a reason for inaction<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her long-term vision includes encouraging more people to become change makers- especially those motivated by food justice and public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>If I can see more and more people getting elected who are primarily in politics for food and health, that would be an incredible achievement<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Link to Dolitics: <a href=\"https:\/\/dolitics.co.uk\/home\">https:\/\/dolitics.co.uk\/home<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Written by Kaydee Shepherd, YORA Coordinator and PhD student at Leeds Beckett University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dolly van Tulleken\u00a0is a policy consultant and visiting researcher at the at Cambridge University\u2019s MRC Epidemiology Unit where she completed her PhD and postdoctoral position specializing in government policy processes and the history of government policy on obesity and food-related ill health in England. Her research has been published in leading journals such as\u00a0The Milbank [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-news-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=545"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":548,"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545\/revisions\/548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.shu.ac.uk\/yora\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}