Student Comment: Nudging the Scale - Behavioral Economics and the Obesity Crisis
by Raabia Wazir, Staff Member
Despite the fact that the obesity epidemic has shown no signs of slowing in recent decades, governmental tactics to combat obesity have remained limited to traditional economic models focused on individual consumer choices. Current efforts to enforce fat taxes and restaurant calorie postings provide uncertain benefits at best and may in fact be detrimental to consumers. The USDA and other federal agencies have recently turned to behavioral economics to buttress current anti-obesity legislation. While policy changes adopting findings from this new field is on the horizon, at present we can only speculate about the potential of "nudging" on our nation's health.
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by Raabia Wazir, Staff Member
Despite the fact that the obesity epidemic has shown no signs of slowing in recent decades, governmental tactics to combat obesity have remained limited to traditional economic models focused on individual consumer choices. Current efforts to enforce fat taxes and restaurant calorie postings provide uncertain benefits at best and may in fact be detrimental to consumers. The USDA and other federal agencies have recently turned to behavioral economics to buttress current anti-obesity legislation. While policy changes adopting findings from this new field is on the horizon, at present we can only speculate about the potential of "nudging" on our nation's health.
Continue Reading