From April 11 to April 14, I will be representing Fors Marsh Group (FMG) at the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s (SBM) Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, LA. SBM does an excellent job showcasing both groundbreaking basic research in behavioral health as well as applications of this research in communities and policy. I am excited to be presenting my resear ...
Health
When Are "Healthy Foods" Actually Healthy? Deciphering Health Claims
In honor of National Public Health Week, it is important to consider the value of a healthy diet. Healthy eating is important for maintaining a healthy body weight, preventing many diseases, and keeping people feeling good and energized throughout the day. Most people agree that having a healthy diet sounds great in theory. However, consumers often report confusion regarding wh ...
Can Wearable Fitness Trackers Help Meet Physical Activity Goals?
Similar to in years past, weight loss behaviors such as diet and exercise are among the most popular New Year’s resolutions in 2018. But in order to increase their exercise behaviors successfully, people must be able to accurately measure their exercise. Unfortunately, most of us are notoriously bad at doing this ourselves. Research shows that people often overestimate their ex ...
Food Cues and Eating Behavior: Takeaways from ObesityWeek 2017
From October 31–November 2, I represented Fors Marsh Group (FMG) at ObesityWeek, the annual joint meeting of The Obesity Society (TOS) and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). I was particularly excited to attend ObesityWeek because it is the preeminent conference in the obesity field and brings together leading researchers and advocates. As a behavi ...
Counting Progress on World AIDS Day 2017
World AIDS Day, designated on December 1 every year, is a time to show support for people living with HIV/AIDS and to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses. Since the catastrophic rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the United States beginning in the early 1980s, science and public health have progressed in learning more about the disease as wel ...
Strategies for Wellness Behavior Change Messaging
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched this week its annual National Wellness Week event, a public health effort in which the agency reminds us to pay attention to our wellness. According to SAMHSA, there are eight dimensions of wellness—some more obvious and others less so—that include physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, envir ...
Changing Public Perceptions of Excessive Drinking
Most people are aware of the dangerous consequences of excessive drinking. However, most people think about excessive drinking like they do about gun ownership: that in a variety of contexts, it’s perfectly safe and normal. Several studies—including our own research—show that most people believe that the acceptability of excessive drinking is determined by the context in which ...
Nats Open the Season with a Pair of Wins and a New Tobacco Use Policy that is Going Under the Radar
Ah, April. DC sports fans’ hopes are high—it’s early enough the Caps haven’t gotten knocked out of the playoffs unexpectedly soon, the Wizards are in the playoffs, and the Nats are back. Not much has changed. Harper and Murphy look to be back in a groove (and Zim?!); the bullpen looks shaky. And smokeless tobacco seems to be permitted in the park. Wait, didn’t D.C. prohibit the ...
The Risks of Copying and Pasting: Health Technology, Human Error, and User Experience Design
If you use any kind of word processing software, chances are you are pretty familiar with the copy-and-paste functions. Using them is an easy way to avoid retyping the same information, and you probably do it without a second thought. But when it comes to electronic health records, copy-and-paste functions can potentially lead to errors in health records, putting patients at ri ...