How to navigate the food system for healthy eating
Diet plays a huge role in our well-being, but the food industry can make choosing natural foods instead of processed ones a challenge. To discuss how people can overcome the obstacles to enjoying a healthy diet, Dr. Ellen Beckjord spoke to Steve Downs from Building H, a nonprofit dedicated to making everyday life healthier by design.
Related to this Episode:
"Good Health, Better World" is available wherever you enjoy podcasts.
Guest Speaker
Steve Downs
Steve Downs is a co-founder at Building H, a nonprofit research group dedicated to changing the product environment so that it creates health, not disease. Building H measures the impacts of products, services, and companies on the health of consumers. Steve is the primary developer of the Building H Index, a tool that rates and ranks popular companies in the entertainment, food, housing and transportation industries on the impacts of their products and services on the health and well-being of their customers. Steve is adjunct faculty at the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a lecturer at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (Stanford d.school).
Prior to his role at Building H, Steve was the chief technology and strategy officer at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), where he focused on the practice of program strategy and on the alignment of the Foundation’s technology strategy and operations with its organizational directions. Steve also had a long programming career at RWJF, funding efforts to provide patients with better access to information and tools to manage their health; to support the field of public health informatics; and more.
More Episodes
Health misinformation and disinformation: How to know what’s real
The internet can be a wonderful resource for people searching for health information. But it can be difficult to avoid misinformation when you’re trying to make informed medical decisions. Join Dr. Ellen Beckjord as she and Dr. Brad Hesse discuss how to safely search for medical information online.
Rethinking health care: Preventive health and social needs
Dr. Tracey Conti joins us to discuss the complexity of the U.S. health care system and the importance of social support and preventive care. She explores the connections between providers, insurance, and community support, and how integrated systems like UPMC can make a big difference.