Why baby steps are not enough to tackle the obesity epidemic

The Future of Baby Stepsin Health

Innovation*

Mobile Health ConferenceMay 17, 2012

Stanford UniversityHemi Weingarten

@fooducate@hemiw

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* I will only talk about “food” related health

Why Baby Steps aren’t Enough

The title of this presentation

Q: Why is dieting so hard ?

A: Confronts our basic biological drive to eat and defend against weight loss

Q: Why is dieting so hard ?

of people who lose weight

gain it back within 2 years

80%

eatless

3200

3900

1980 2012

“Fast Food”

• Can’t blame them for trying to make a profit

FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz: “it’s probably time to move on from attempts to regulate junk food marketing to children. The commission does not support legislation restricting food advertising to children.”

90% profit margin

10% profit margin

Food Manufacturers

• Can’t blame them for trying to make a profit

Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour [Flour, Reduced Iron, B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable and/or Animal Shortening (Soybean, Cottonseed and/or Canola Oil, Beef Fat), Whole Eggs, Dextrose. Contains 2% or Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Glucose, Leavenings (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Sweet Dairy Whey, Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium and Sodium Caseinate, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Soy Lecithin, Soy Flour, Cornstarch, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sorbic Acid (to Retain Freshness), Yellow 5, Red 40.

Food Manufacturers

• Can’t blame them for trying to make a profit

The longer the shelf life of food – the shorter the shelf life of humans

technology + baby steps change to large systems

Our ChallengeHarness technology and the collective baby steps of millions to change the world…

Baby Steps for

Myself

My Family

My Community

My Society

More please

Thank you! Hemi [email protected]