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Obesity is one of the most pressing health challenges of our time, yet public campaigns on diet and exercise have struggled to reverse rising global rates.

Assistant Professor Xuan Zhang from the School of Economics at Singapore Management University explores how a simple, low-cost intervention – a series of short, personalised text messages – can help people better understand their weight classification and adopt healthier habits.

Her team’s randomised controlled trial found that regular digital reminders significantly improved weight perception and diet among older adults, showing how behavioural insights can drive meaningful change in public health.

Read the original research: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2024.04.029