by Mike Critelli, 

In the mid 2000s, as Pitney Bowes’ CEO, I embarked on an initiative to improve how our employees ate when at work or when commuting to and from work. I was influenced by research summarized by Prof. Brian Wansick, then at Cornell, in a book called Mindless Eating. His research demonstrated that much of our excess food and beverage consumption was driven by environmental factors unrelated to our craving for food.  

That made complete sense to me for several reasons:

1. Grocery retailers charge consumer packaged goods companies far more for placement of foods and beverages at certain places in the store. They specifically recognized that if a food or beverage item was on a shelf between an adult’s waist and eye level, it was far more likely to be purchased. Retailers initiated “shelf placement fees” to capture additional revenue. In retail grocery stores, candy and junk food at the checkout counter are both highly profitable and easily accessible. It was often an impulse purchase, especially for parents with impatient children. Think of these fees as the equivalent of a first class airplane seat.

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by Makeuswell, 

Dr. Patrick Leahy isn’t just leading a university. He’s keeping something sacred alive.

At Monmouth, through the Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, he’s helping us hold on to the sounds that shape who we are. This isn’t just about records in boxes. It’s about the music that lives in our bones.

Think about when John Fogerty sings “Put me in, coach!” in Centerfield. It hits something deeper than the ears. It taps into our collective consciousness. The part of us that remembers backyard games, big dreams, and second chances. That’s the power Dr. Leahy is helping preserve.

Abir, chairman of MakeUsWell, has gotten to know Dr. Leahy over time. He speaks of him with respect—as a brilliant mind and a pragmatic builder. Someone who sees the long game, but never loses the human note.

Under Dr. Leahy’s watch, Monmouth has become more than a school. It’s a place where music, history, and identity are treated with care. A place where the soul of American sound is archived, explored, and honored.

At MakeUsWell, we believe in what brings people together. Sometimes it’s health. Sometimes it’s data. And sometimes—it’s a song that makes you remember who you are.

That’s what Dr. Leahy is keeping alive. And we’re all better for it.

by Mike Critelli, 

Last year, Dr. Gary Welch and Colleen McGuire of Silver Fern Healthcare joined our MakeUsWell Network. Their tag line is “Human Understanding Unlocked.” Their business is focused on addressing a fundamental issue we must address if we are to have viable healthcare and health insurance systems and to have global competitiveness across a variety of fronts.

The United States throws more money at health and healthcare than any other nation in the world, and achieves horrible outcomes. We have the same pathology in our public education system as well, but this blog will just focus on the issue of health improvement.

When I was growing up, the way we thought about health was that we “got sick” through no fault of our own, either because of an infectious disease like pneumonia or a gastrointestinal condition from eating contaminated food. One of my grandmothers had diabetes and had one leg amputated below the knee, but I did not understand what caused it. At the time, we thought about diseases and illnesses as conditions that happened to us and over which we had little or no control. 

There were exceptions. We knew about alcoholism, drug addiction, and lung diseases from excessive smoking. I had uncles, aunts and cousins who had alcohol dependency or died of lung cancer. But we did not focus on obesity or the metabolic disorders to which it contributed. Hypertension, coronary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancers of our gastro-intestinal tract were not as common as they are today.

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by Mike Critelli, 

Introduction

Zoonotic diseases are infections transmitted from animals to humans. These diseases pose a significant global health threat, as evidenced by past outbreaks such as the Ebola virus, SARS, and bird flu outbreaks. With rapid globalization and increased human-animal interactions affecting disease transmission patterns, innovative solutions to detect and prevent zoonotic diseases are urgently needed. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool that can help monitor, predict, and mitigate the spread of zoonotic infections through advanced data analytics, machine learning, and automation. AI can be leveraged in the early detection, monitoring, and prevention of zoonotic disease transmission.  

AI in Early Detection of Zoonotic Diseases

One critical aspect of controlling zoonotic diseases is early detection. AI plays a pivotal role in analyzing vast amounts of data to identify patterns and predict potential outbreaks before they escalate. Several approaches illustrate how AI contributes to early detection:

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by Mike Critelli, 

At MakeUsWell, we strive to educate users on how to improve their ability to self-manage their health and more intelligently partner with health professionals. We emphasize partnering with knowledgeable professionals, not replacing them.

Artificial intelligence can help us manage our health, when we assess food additives, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and adverse interactions among them. We inevitably have to address how to evaluate the underlying research. 

Identifying peer-reviewed research from authoritative sources in reputable journals is not enough. Research can fail at several levels—even with the elaborate peer review processes. 

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