Behavioral intervention strategies for promoting healthy eating: perspectives from behavioral public health

Abstract

Healthy eating behavior is one of the leading lifestyle factors that influence people’s health status. Increasing incidents of noncommunicable diseases such as obesity， hypertension， cardiovascular diseases， and diabetes caused by unhealthy eating habits are among the major public health challenges in China. To deal with this challenge， the Healthy China 2030 committee proposed the “Promoting a balanced diet” action as one of the 15 specialized strategies for achieving this goal. However， how to put this initiative into practices reamins a big public health challenge in China. Recent research in behavioral sciences provides valuable insights for dealing with this challenge. Behavioral science-based nudge strategies can promote healthy eating by making healthy eating more convenient and preferrable， promoting healthy eating through social influences， and enhancing healthy eating at the right moment without constraining people's freedom of choosing what to eat. These strategies could inspire the development of culturally appropriate and context-sensitive behavioral nudges to promote healthy eating in China.

Keywords

• promoting a balanced diet
• healthy eating
• healthy china
• behavioral nudging
• behavioral public health