Making better choices about food. (Rule #4)

A recent article in the Washington Post presents the findings of a new study that obesity is now potentially costing Americans 16% of their health care spending. Previous studies put the estimate at 9%. This should be an even more urgent call to arms for all of us working to educate and make high quality whole foods more readily available throughout society. As an individual who is working to bridge the gap between sustainability and wellness, data like this only becomes a more powerful tool when working with specific groups, schools and corporations on preventing obesity by encouraging behavior change. Starting by offering better food choices and "marketing" those choices while making it harder to pick "bad food" is a great place to start - if you have not read some of the case studies in "Nudge: Improving decision making about Health, Wealth, and Happiness" start by clicking here to see a short story on a simple cafeteria nudge. To read the article in the Washington Post, click here.