How to Keep Santa from Making Our Kids Fat –Three Ways to Reduce Childhood Obesity
The holidays are upon us. It’s a time to celebrate with loved ones, maybe even enjoy a well-earned vacation. But it is also a time that many of us gain weight, with children developing eating habits that could set them on a trajectory towards being overweight or obese. It is really crucial to help our…
Why Charging Smokers More for Health Insurance Costs All of Us Money
Cigarette smokers have rights. No one should be able to tell an adult that she can’t spend her hard earned money on cigarettes. But non-smokers have rights, too. Specifically, they shouldn’t have to pay to subsidize health care costs of people who choose to smoke. In fact, smokers hurt non-smokers by racking up health care…
Is It Fair to Reward Medicaid Patients for Receiving Flu Shots?
My son was underperforming at school, and I was gently encouraging him to try harder (if gesticulating like an over caffeinated Italian qualifies as gentle encouragement). He could not understand why I was upset: “Dad, most of my friends are doing drugs and engaging in unprotected sex. You should be rewarding me for being such…
Peer Comparison Can Reduce Antibiotic Prescribing
Very interesting article in the Lancet recently, from the nudge unit in the United Kingdom. They give physicians feedback on how much they prescribed antibiotics compared to their peers, and found that such feedback reduced antibiotic prescriptions. I hope to see more of this work!
Absolutely Hilarious Nudge!
Here is a hilarious effort by Utah Valley State presumably to either keep people from crashing into each other while they text on the stairway, or more likely to show them how stupid it is to be engaging in that behavior in that location:
Q & A With Richard Thaler On What It Really Means To Be A "Nudge"
Nudge is one of the most important and influential books on behavioral science and public policy I’ve ever read. Co-authored by economist Richard Thaler and lawyer Cass Sunstein, the book lays out the rationale for adopting policies designed to make it more likely that people will act in their own best interests rather than, say,…