Name: Why it's so hard to make healthy decisions
Uploaded: 2019-11-19T15:55:57Z
Duration: 16 min 43 s
Description: Why do we make poor decisions that we know are bad for our health? In this frank, funny talk, behavioral economist and health policy expert David Asch explains why our behavior is often irrational -- in highly predictable ways -- and shows how we can harness this irrationality to make better decisions and improve our health care system overall.

Why do we make poor decisions that we know are bad for our health? In this frank, funny talk, behavioral economist and health policy expert David Asch explains why our behavior is often irrational -- in highly predictable ways -- and shows how we can harness this irrationality to make better decisions and improve our health care system overall.

Why it's so hard to make healthy decisions

Behavioral economist, health policy expert

People often make unhealthy choices not because they lack information, but because human behavior is predictably irrational. Even a highly accomplished governor nearly died in a car crash because he never wore a seat belt, despite knowing the risks. Behavioral economics reveals that emotions, present bias, and social influences shape actions more than logic does. By designing health systems that tap into these unconscious patterns, it becomes possible to drive real improvements in health outcomes.