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Physical Activity
Sedentary behavior is a prominent risk factor linked to most non-communicable diseases. As societies, we know we need to be more active, yet progress has been lacking even as the evidence supporting the benefits of physical activity continues to mount.
The Vitality Institute is devoted to learning how the intersection of environment, technology, and economics can interact to produce circumstances in which all adults and children can choose to be more active in their everyday lives in a safe and enjoyable way.
The Evidence
From the Blog
Vitality Group Featured as Health Innovation Leader in New World Economic Forum Report
Vitality Group’s program has been featured as a leading innovator in health in a report by the World Economic Forum. Published in collaboration with Willis Towers Watson, the report was released today at the World... More »Derek Yach | Jan 19, 2017
behavioral economics, behaviors, chronic disease, Daniel Kahneman, engagement, Health, healthy food, innovation, nudges, physical activity, prevention, Vitality, Willis Towers Watson, workplace health, World Economic Forum
From the Blog
Maintain, Don’t Gain During the Holidays
What influences the foods you throw into your grocery cart or what your shopping list looks like? Does it depend on how hungry you are at the time? Who you are shopping with? It is... More »Cary Conway and Adriana Selwyn | Dec 15, 2016
calories, Discovery, exercise, healthy food, Nutrition, physical activity, RAND Corporation, sugar-free beverages, weight, weight management
From the Blog
Redefining the unacceptable: Making prevention of disease and promotion of health priorities
Blog post is based on Derek Yach’s TEDx talk in Monte Carlo on November 26, 2016 Governments and businesses spend more than 95% of healthcare costs responding to the consequences of neglected disease prevention and... More »Derek Yach | Nov 26, 2016
business, chronic disease prevention, Daniel Kahneman, government, health promotion, healthcare, mental health, Monte Carlo, Nobel Prize, Nutrition, physical activity, productivity, TEDx, transparency, well-being
From the Blog
Canadian Leadership: The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion After 30 Years
The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, which proposed an international effort to achieve better health for all by 2000, celebrates its 30th anniversary on November 21, 2016. The tactics espoused by the Ottawa Charter, largely... More »Gillian Christie | Nov 21, 2016
behavioral economics, Canada, Canadians, chronic disease prevention, health promotion, Ottawa Charter, private sector, technologies, World Health Organization
From the Blog
Healthy Aging in Action: The Surgeon General’s National Prevention Strategy for Older Adults
The US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has released new recommendations to promote healthy aging in later life: “Healthy Aging in Action: Advancing the National Prevention Strategy”. The report highlights governmental policies and programs that... More »Derek Yach & Gillian Christie | Nov 17, 2016
Great American Smokeout, Health, healthy aging, home care, National Prevention Strategy, reduced-risk products, sensors, Surgeon General, wearables, well-being
From the Blog
Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle to Avoid Diabetes
Today is World Diabetes Day, celebrated annually on November 14. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating... More »Cother Hajat | Nov 14, 2016
diabetes, early detection, engagement, International Diabetes Federation, lifestyle, pharmacological treatment, pre-diabetes, prevention, screening, Vitality, World Diabetes Day, World Health Organization
From the Blog
Are Wearables Good For Your Health?
In a report to the United Kingdom’s House of Lord’s Select Committee on the Sustainability of the NHS, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) proposed that “new technologies should be investigated to encourage healthier... More »Cother Hajat | Oct 31, 2016
Apple, biometrics, BMI, diet, FitBit, fitness, Health Tap, IFoA, medication adherence, NHS, physical activity, research, Vitality GP, wearables
From the Blog
Rounding Up the War on Cancer
On September 28, 2016, The Economist hosted its second annual “War on Cancer” event in Boston, Massachusetts. The one-day meeting featured influential speakers, including Greg Simon, the Executive Director of the Cancer Moonshot Taskforce; Kyu... More »Gillian Christie | Oct 7, 2016
alcohol, cancer, Cancer Moonshot Taskforce, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Congressional Budget Office, exercise, healthy diet, IBM, StartUp Health, The Economist, tobacco use, war on cancer, weight, World Health Organization
From the Blog
Protecting Heart Health on World Heart Day
Today is World Heart Day 2016, an annual event established to educate people on heart disease and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year.... More »Cary Conway | Sep 29, 2016
alcohol use, employers, medication adherence, Nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use, workplace health, World Heart Day, World Heart Federation
From the Blog
Accelerating Cancer Prevention
The World Health Organization estimates that the number of new cancer cases will rise by 70% over the next two decades. While the dialogue on cancer is too often on treatment, about a third of... More »Derek Yach & Gillian Christie | Sep 22, 2016
alcohol, alcohol use, cancer, healthy diet, physical activity, war on cancer, World Health Organization
