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“Our Point of View” Articles
Our Point of View
EEOC Ruling on Workplace Health Programs
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its final rules on May 16, 2016. The regulations outline the extent to which employers can provide financial incentives to employees (up to 30% of the cost of their least expensive major medical insurance plan) to participate in the program, in addition to a number of other...Gillian Christie | May 26, 2016
ACA, ADA, EEOC, GINA, Guidelines for Personalized Health Technology, HIPAA, workplace health, workplace well-being
Our Point of View
Naturally healthy? From marketing to mouth
Food products today read like a dictionary of health-promoting words: natural; healthy; light; made with wholegrains; and the list goes on. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tasked with defining these terms. Last week the FDA announced a revision to the definition of “healthy” following a petition from snack bar manufacturer, KIND, to reflect...Adriana Selwyn | May 24, 2016
FDA, food, healthy, HealthyFood, natural, Nutrition
Our Point of View
Technologies and Evidence for Healthy Ageing and Financial Services
While a level of cognitive decline is normal with age, the ability of people to manage their finances poses challenges as our brains change with the passing years. On April 5, 2016, the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Agenda Council (GAC) on Ageing, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), and the National Institute on Ageing...Derek Yach | May 6, 2016
artificial intelligence, bridgepoint health, cognitive decline, health technology, healthy aging, international federation on ageing, jane barratt, national institute on ageing, older adults, robotics, ryerson university, stephanie woodward
Impact, Our Point of View
Mental Health Emerging Out of the Shadows
The 1930s marked substantial investment by the Rockefeller Foundation in the scientific development of mental health, including psychiatry, neurology, and care symptoms, in the US, the UK, and elsewhere. This funding provided a foundation for the potential transformation of mental health in a post-World War II health agenda. Since the 1930s, the international development community...Derek Yach & Gillian Christie | Apr 26, 2016
Big White Wall, mental health, NCDs, personalized health technology, prevention, SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals, UK, US, wearable technology, WHO, World Bank, World Health Organization
Our Point of View
Can Physical Exercise Make You Smarter?
Physical exercise makes our bodies healthier by helping to control weight and reducing the risks of various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, and some cancers. But can physical activity also make you smarter? Brain plasticity, or your brain’s ability to change over time, is associated with intelligence, increased brain volume, memory, and...Kristie Willenborg | Apr 13, 2016
active commute, Australia, brain health, brain plasticity, brain power, Finland, type 2 diabetes, UCB, University of California Berkeley, University of Jyvaskyla
Impact, Our Point of View
Harnessing the Power of Women to Beat Diabetes
April 7 marks the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Health Day. This year’s theme – Beat Diabetes – comes at a critical time when 415 million people are affected by diabetes worldwide. The campaign aims to curb the proliferation of Type 2 diabetes cases, which are expected to double by 2030, by scaling up prevention...Gabriela Seplovich and Adriana Selwyn | Apr 7, 2016
diabetes, International Diabetes Federation, Nutrition, personalized health technology, type 2 diabetes, WHO, women, World Health Day, World Health Organization
Impact, Our Point of View
Incentivizing Healthy Food Choices for Better Health
One year ago today, John Hancock and Vitality embarked on a collaboration to create a whole new type of life insurance: a shared value approach whereby financial benefits from individuals living healthier and longer lives can be reinvested to the benefit of the insurer and the customer. Today, John Hancock Vitality announces the launch of...Adriana Selwyn | Apr 6, 2016
environment, greenhouse gas emissions, HealthyFood, John Hancock USA, John Hancock Vitality, Nutrition, planetary health, Rockefeller Foundation, shared value insurance, South Africa, sustainability, The Lancet, USA, water use
Impact, Our Point of View
“Move for Health” – Physical Activity and Diabetes Prevention
Diabetes is a disorder that causes blood glucose levels to rise higher than normal. The most common form of diabetes is Type 2, or non-insulin dependent diabetes. With this disease, your body does not use insulin properly, causing insulin resistance. Over time, insulin resistance decreases your body’s ability to keep its blood glucose (sugar) at...Kristie Willenborg | Apr 5, 2016
Agita Mundo, American Heart Association, diabetes, glycemic index, National Walking Day, Nutrition, risk factors, type 2 diabetes, United States, WHO, World Day for Physical Activity, World Health Organization
Our Point of View
Making Strides: Fitness versus Food Tech
Do you want to track your physical activity? There are countless options for smartwatches and fitness trackers that automatically record your daily steps and workouts. Do you want to track your nutrition? Unfortunately, your options are more limited and the process is still relatively manual. Wearables like Fitbit and Apple Watch generally include options for...Sarah Kunkle and Gillian Christie | Mar 29, 2016
Impact, New Research, Our Point of View
More steps, more life
It is well-known that being physically active is linked to living a longer and healthier life. A recent study from Australian researchers confirmed this, showing that taking more steps each day led to a lower risk of death. Over a period of five years the scientists studied objectively measured physical activity—with a device, and not...Adriana Selwyn and Jonathan Dugas | Mar 23, 2016
Active Rewards, Apple Watch, Australia, FitBit, Garmin, Guidelines for Personalized Health Technology, physical activity, Polar, productivity, steps per day, Vitality
