by Mike Critelli, 

Our recent blogs have focused on food and beverage additives and preservatives and their role in creating and enhancing cravings, as well as economic, merchandising, social, and psychological causes of nutritional decisions.

An increasing number of Americans understand this, but most do not realize that the first line of attack for improving healthy nutrition starts at the farm or the pasture. The healthiness of produce, meat, dairy products, and grains is heavily influenced by:

• Seeds

• Soils

• Environmental conditions

• Chemicals used in agricultural processes

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by Mike Critelli, 

Although it is not the primary cause of obesity, the differences between what and why we consume sweet treats during holidays and at other celebratory events is symptomatic of a much deeper societal issue.

Our lives would not be the same without birthday cakes, Thanksgiving pies, Christmas cookies, or chocolates shared with loved ones on Valentine’s Day or as a treat shared when we eat a chocolate Easter bunny. What would weddings be like if the bride and groom did not cut the wedding cake and serve it to guests? How do we rethink what we do for all these special occasions?

The link between sweet treats and holiday celebrations dates back far before our country’s founding and appears in many countries and cultures. Getting rid of unhealthy sweet treats on these special occasions is not realistic or even desirable.

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by Mike Critelli, 

For a sizable part of the global population that has enough money to buy healthy foods and beverages, but chooses to eat unhealthy foods and beverages, one motivation is the way we have been wired to link unhealthy foods and beverages with positive emotions.

We will explore one of them today: “comfort.” Next week, we will explore the link between foods and celebratory occasions.

The Comfort Response

When we are stressed out, we often are induced to eat unhealthy and junky food which either we or a person offering it to us calls “comfort food.”

This is not a new phenomenon and it actually was not linked to food a few generations ago. Our parents and grandparents often pursued comfort and calm through an alcoholic beverage before, during or after dinner every day. In many households in the 1950’s and 1960’s, supposedly the golden age of American life, adults felt a need to drink an alcoholic beverage to calm their nerves after what routinely was a stressful work environment or, in the case of stay-at-home moms, a stressful day at home.

Some took tranquilizers or pain killers to deal with the physiological effects of stress. A scan of 1950’s advertising shows that even cigarettes were marketed as stress relievers and that some doctors were heavy tobacco users.

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by Mike Critelli, 

Information Alone Is Not Enough

One of the challenges that has been top of mind to us as we build this browser-based AI-driven product is how to make it as effective as possible as it provides information and advice to users.

The mistake public health officials, the media, employers, educators, and many other leaders have repeatedly made is to assume that their job ends when they convey information about how we should act to maximize health.

We know from our personal and social experiences that even when family, friends, and other social influences are urging us to do the right thing, we fail to do so.

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by Mike Critelli, 

A Shift in Focus: From Additives to AI

Over the last few blogs, we have talked about unhealthy food additives and preservatives, excessive food consumption because some of these additives, like added sugar, sodium and fats, are designed to be addictive and succeed in doing so.

We are going to take what, at first glance, will seem to be a detour, but is a powerful opportunity to use AI as a thought partner in helping manage our eating and drinking habits.

The Social Side of Eating

Although all of us intuitively would understand this, research scientists Dr. Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler published a book whose theme is described in its title: Connections: The Surprising Power of Social Networks and How They Change Our Lives in 2010.

They summarized and analyzed extensive research on the social influences on our health, particularly what and how much we eat. People who are overweight or obese will tend to associate with others who are also overweight or obese.

They patronize the same restaurants or cafes, shop in the same parts of stores, are mostly likely to go to movie theaters and consume the biggest popcorn bucket or 40-ounce sugary soda.

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