Posts Tagged ‘health promotion’

We all need a nudge to look after our health especially in the festive season when turning down a drink or a piece of Christmas pudding seems churlish. Today local councils have been put in charge of encouraging healthier lifestyles in their communities. This may be the best way to tackle health inequalities; a recent survey shows that death rates in 19 NHS trusts are too high, perhaps because some of these trusts have the highest rates of smoking, alcohol abuse and obesity in the country.

So will a nudge help people lead healthier lifestyles? Health professionals and local government workers amongst you will be trying to answer that question. Well surely, the most important thing is knowing whether the nudge is making a difference. As with any new initiative, it's essential to decide how to collect and analyse the data needed to measure its success before embarking on it. Doing this will ensure the most effective delivery of lifestyle promotion and provide important data for studying healthcare economics.

We know it makes sense to protect lives by wearing seat belts, taking exercise, not smoking and by drinking and eating responsibly. We're all wary of government initiatives, but this one, designed to help us whilst reducing NHS costs, is a no brainer.