Previous blog topics this week have covered food, fun and Scotland – some of the favourite Atlas things in life. This post covers another one; film. Film provides the opportunity to tell your story in an immersive way that a written document or even the most creative of visual aids can’t. It can ‘show’ rather [...]
Scales with your lunch?
Japanese health device manufacturer Tanita Shokudo initially tried and tested the concept of providing nutritional support and advice where you eat in its office cafeteria. It proved so successful among its employees that they have to rolled it out to the public, who can now come and eat at their cafeteria. Expert culinary information about [...]
International Review of Behaviour Change
I love the opportunity to celebrate anything worthwhile coming out of Scotland (sorry, I know I am biased!) and the International Review of Behaviour Change Initiatives report, published by the Scottish Government early last year is worth a look. It examines a range of behaviour change initiatives with the aim of enhancing understanding about differing [...]
Fun to change
Competitions are a great way to attract innovation. Some of the world’s most iconic buildings – the Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House – were the result of design competitions. Can you imagine either of those two designs getting past the usual local government planning officials? Many people have lots of ideas bubbling away but [...]
Apps for change
I am a great fan of digital devices. I run more regularly and for longer since I was gifted a Nike+ sportsband. I know exactly how far I have run, how many calories I have burnt and track my progress over time with an interactive dashboard – three barriers which I previously used an excuse [...]
Novel solution to excessive portions & food waste
Combating obesity and reducing food waste are two very current behaviour change challenges. Average restaurant portion sizes are now are 2 or 3 times the recommended size. In the US, nearly 50% of all food produced is thrown out, a staggering 100 million kg every day. In the UK the figure is 33% of all [...]
Achieving Zero
New Zealand and Australia face a number of environmental behaviour change challenges. Water is a key issue in both countries. To generalise greatly, Australia doesn’t have a lot of it and in New Zealand, a powerful dairy industry is responsible for polluting great stretches of it. These ‘big’ issues can seem overwhelming and although they [...]
Be the change you want to see
I am a keen proponent of the need to address global poverty yet as I watched the Occupy movement I couldn’t see that participating or supporting it would make any real difference. My attempts to see change in this sphere are directed in a more practical way. We all know that different mechanisms support different [...]
Fascinating obesity research
A recent study from the University of Sydney has shown that a diet high in protein, combined with regular dietician sessions, is more effective at helping young women lose weight than a similar number of calories derived from a diet higher in carbohydrates. Those on the latter diet also had monthly dietician sessions. The study [...]
Behind Finland’s innovation boot camp
What do you think of when you say Finland? ‘Cold’ and ‘saunas’ would be my answer. As a country, they have enjoyed relatively low energy prices but grid unification across Europe will mean higher energy prices for a country heavily reliant on manufacturing. However, they’re not sitting around waiting for the inevitable, they are being [...]