Changing Habits, Not Just Diets
With rates of obesity and diabetes at epidemic levels, youâd think it would be enough to simply tell people what they need to do. But the messages about how to eat healthfully â buy local, eat seasonally, shun industrial meat â can be overwhelming and unrealistic for both low-income and time-stressed, middle-class families. Moreover, much of todayâs dietary advice ignores a fundamental truth: Most Americans seek out fast and processed foods, not for the price, but for the convenience and the taste. A recent study in the journal Population Health Management revealed that households earning $60,000 a year ate the most fast food. Households bringing in $80,000 were actually more likely to âhave it their wayâ than those with $30,000.
Until now, mainstream "solutions" to the obesity crisis, and to the broader problem of how to forge a healthier American diet, have focused on making fresh food more affordable and accessible. But as I saw last year while reporting a book on what people eat, and why they eat it, in Huntington, W.Va., many Americans dohave access to, and can afford, better food. They just choose not to eat it. Or rather, they choose not to take the time to shop for it, to plan and cook their meals, when they can hit the drive-through or have a pizza delivered or pop a Stoufferâs entrĂ©e into the microwave.
Does this mean the battle is lost? On the contrary. A new and growing group of studies point to a third way to persuade Americans to make small but essential changes to their diets and lifestyles. Based on behavior-change theories â a kind of grassroots behavioral economics for public health â these strategies address a range of personal, cultural and environmental factors that affect what people eat. America on the Move, a Denver-based nonprofit, has shown that if overweight and obese people add 2,000 extra steps to their daily routine or cut out 100 calories a day, they can effectively prevent weight gain. In Kentucky, a program called Healthy, Well-Thee and Wise is tracking its multiyear effort to help Appalachian women make realistic changes, such as baking their pork chops instead of frying them, that lead to healthier lifestyles.
