Background: Involving consumers in research is becoming a recognised method of ensuring that researchers and policy makers meet people’s needs and priorities more effectively, appropriately and acceptably. The Cochrane Collaboration has been at the forefront of consulting health service users about effectiveness reviews. This paper presents an innovative consultation of healthy young people about reviews of qualitative and observational studies. These methods may be of future relevance for consumer work with effectiveness reviews. Objectives: To use a range of methods to involve children and young people at different stages in the systematic reviewing process, and to assess its effect on a review of qualitative studies, and a review of correlational studies. Methods: During two workshops with children and young people aged 12-17, undertaken in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau, participants were presented with two systematic reviews on childhood obesity. Children were presented with the thematic synthesis from a review of children’s views on obesity, and asked to comment on the findings and draw implications for future interventions from them. Next, children were shown a systematic map of correlational studies exploring the link between obesity and educational attainment. They prioritised certain topics, to narrow the focus for an in-depth review, and considered the plausibility of theoretical and statistical associations found in the literature. Results: Children highlighted gaps in the evidence base provided by views studies, indicating new areas for primary research. They drew a range of implications for service providers and carers from the findings of the views research synthesis. For the correlational studies, they selected associations deserving further investigation. Reflections on the process are also presented. Conclusions: While involving children and young people in research is challenging, the results demonstrate the benefits of doing so, particularly for policy-relevant research.