Moving Countries Toward Healthier Lifestyles

In recent decades, people have seen a shift in the etiologies that most commonly cause death and disability, from infectious diseases to degenerative illnesses related to a significant degree to unhealthy lifestyles. Attempts to change these lifestyle choices in adults have often met with limited success. Earlier studies have tested the hypothesis that childhood interventions aimed at inculcating healthy lifestyle principles might be a more effective way to influence future generations and might have a beneficial spillover effect on the parents of these children. Here, Alpert and Hanley describe the success of a powerful new tool for changing lifestyle habits related to healthy eating and exercise.