A recent article in the American Journal of Cardiology presents a modest proposal: offering a statin alongside fast food to counterbalance the negative effects of a cholesterol-laden meal.   Likening it to wearing a helmet to offset the dangers of riding a motorcycle, the proposal admits defeat before it starts.

Rather than expect people to do the hard work of making better food choices or the food industry to offer healthier fast food, the statin recommendation becomes the ultimate enabler.

Like “Mother’s Little Helper”of years past, the McStatin solution merely covers up deeper, more difficult issues.

Yes, it’s damn hard to get people to change their behaviors, especially in the face of larger socioeconomic and cultural challenges. But it can be done.   According to the CDC,  behavior is the single greatest health determinant.

So let’s start there.

Source: CDC

With apologies to Jonathan Swift, we have a Modest Proposal of our own: Using the science of what makes people tick to motivate them to initiate and sustain lifestyle changes that will save their lives.

We call it the Metabolic Mindset. See how it works, here.

Tags: Behavioral Change, Behavioral Insight, Behavioral Science, Healthcare Marketing, Metabolic Diseases, Obesity Management