It seems how we communicate can have a decisive influence on improving the eating habits of others. In a new report that analyzed 43 international studies involving either positive or negative nutrition directives, those that focused on “the benefits of eating healthy foods” proved to be significantly more effective than those touting “the harms of eating unhealthy foods.” Whether you are trying to get a child, a spouse, a friend, or an entire group of employees to come over to the wonderful world of healthy eating, you will have greater success simply by extolling the virtues of healthy foods.

As a physician whose full time job is largely devoted to improving the eating habits of others, I can whole-heartedly vouch for the effectiveness of this upbeat, positive approach. And of course, it is more fun too! (Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior’s Annual Conference, 2015)