Junk food marketing to children: how it works and the price we pay

I have written about the behavior shaping role of the entertainment and news media before, but of course, marketing plays a huge role too. And the behavior shaping role of marketing has been in the spotlight this past month, specifically in the context of marketing of junk food to children. Between the continual delays and watering down of what are alreadycompletely [...]

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Building a Healthier, Brighter Future: Positive Childhood and Youth Development

As this video from the Center on the Developing Child illustrates, in looking at determinants of health and well being, it is important to consider the enormous influence early childhood and later youth development have on children’s futures. Physical, social, and emotional health and well being, as well as factors related to health and well [...]

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Place Matters: A look at urban planning and its impact on health

(Note: this post is cross-posted at Occupy Healthcare.) An op-ed in the New York Times last week described the United States’ disproportionate spending on healthcare in comparison to other social services that have an impact on health – a characteristic that puts us in the minority, as one of only three industrialized countries. The chart below shows [...]

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