The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) brought together four of the leading health research funders in the United States—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—to address the problem of childhood obesity in America. 

NCCOR initiated the Health, Behavioral Design, and Built Environment Project in recognition of an important knowledge gap, namely, how do specific aspects of the built environment influence healthy living?

A series of meetings brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts to discuss methods and evidence on applying behavioral design principles to foster active living and healthy eating.  This collaboration, which included Founder Matt Finn as the sole representative of the architecture industry, informed the development of a white paper entitled Health, Behavioral Design, and the Built Environment, which explores the use of behavioral design strategies to foster healthy eating and active living among children, teenagers, and their families. The paper also examines how behavioral design is applied to the built environment and guides researchers and practitioners in using behavioral design methods to enable and promote healthy eating and active living.

To learn more about this project, download the executive summary, which includes a list of the Key Aspects to Consider for Behavioral Design Relevant to Active Living and Healthy Eating. 

To receive a complimentary copy of the unabridged white paper, Contact Us and mention the Health, Behavioral Design, and Built Environment White Paper.