Introduction

Our decisions are shaped by numerous external factors, many of which operate below our conscious awareness. From the environments we live and work into the constant barrage of marketing messages, these influences play a significant role in our everyday choices. However, understanding how brands, advertisements, and even the foods around us impact our behavior can empower us to regain control of our decision-making and make choices that better support long-term health.

Our decisions are shaped by numerous external factors, many of which operate below our conscious awareness. From the environments we live and work into the constant barrage of marketing messages, these influences play a significant role in our everyday choices. However, understanding how brands, advertisements, and even the foods around us impact our behavior can empower us to regain control of our decision-making and make choices that better support long-term health.

Who is Shaping Behavior?

Our behavior is constantly shaped by external forces-primarily the environment and the marketing messages we are exposed to daily. Brands, subliminal advertising, and marketing tactics surround us, influencing our choices in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. For instance, a "Cravings Menu" offering cheap snacks can prompt impulse buying, leading to unhealthy consumption.

Consider the influence of marketing at the grocery checkout aisle, where items like king-size candy bars and sugary sodas are strategically placed for spontaneous purchases. The cost of these indulgences goes far beyond the price tag-contributing to long-term health consequences.

Motivation

Marketing often presents products as sources of joy, happiness, and security, creating an emotional motivation to purchase them.

Ability

By making products affordable and easily accessible, marketers encourage overconsumption, as affordability lowers barriers to indulgence.

Trigger

Constant messaging tells us that now is the perfect time to use a product, reinforcing immediate action.

These influences are everywhere.

Environmental Support

Let's consider an example. Dan, a 55-year-old diabetic with high blood pressure, made impressive progress in improving his health. Over several months, he reduced his blood pressure and lost 30 pounds by following simple principles, such as food journaling. Through tracking his meals and monitoring his blood sugar levels, he discovered which foods had the most significant impact on his blood sugar.

However, Dan's progress was undermined by the environment around him. Workplaces with vending machines and unhealthy food options, like sugary snacks and processed meals, provide negative environmental support. In Dan's case, the temptation of unhealthy food at work caused him to relapse, leading to a sharp spike in blood sugar levels and a loss of momentum in his health journey. This example serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to be vigilant against such unhealthy environmental triggers.

This example shows how the environment plays a major role in shaping our behavior, often steering us toward unhealthy choices with long-term consequences.

Lifestyle Life Cycle

Chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure don't develop overnight. These conditions result from years of poor lifestyle choices that build up over time. The long feedback cycle for chronic diseases makes it difficult to connect everyday choices, like consuming unhealthy foods, with their eventual impact on health. However, understanding the long-term consequences of these diseases can instill a sense of urgency in making healthier choices.

At the core of this process is physiology-chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune system dysfunction, often fueled by poor food choices. These physiological issues are influenced by our lifestyle, which is shaped by the small, repetitive behaviors we engage in daily. These habits, driven by the environment and our internal thoughts, ultimately determine our health.

Our behaviors are often automatic, embedded in our routine over time. For instance, an individual might develop a habit of eating a specific food because of repeated exposure to it in their environment. Over time, this habit becomes part of their lifestyle, even if it contributes to poor health outcomes.

Fallacies of Human Nature

Human nature can also distort our decision-making process. The brain performs three critical actions with information: distorts, deletes, and generalizes information. While these functions may have been helpful for survival in the past, they can hinder us in modern-day decision-making.

• Distortion: We may underestimate the time or effort required for tasks, leading us to misjudge challenges.
• Deletion: The brain often filters out key information, such as the negative consequences of certain behaviors.
• Generalization: We may make broad assumptions, like thinking "everyone is doing it" or "it's always like this," which can lead to faulty conclusions.

These tendencies can make it harder to assess our situation and plan accordingly accurately. Being aware of these cognitive fallacies allows us to take control of our decision-making, making more thoughtful and intentional choices that support better health.