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Can supermarket loyalty cards encourage us to make healthier selections?

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Most recently, Ken Murphy, CEO of the British international supermarket chain Tesco he said on the conference that Tesco “can use Clubcard data to nudge customers towards healthier choices”.

How wouldn’t it work and is that this what we wish? Our latest study, published within the journal Scientific journal of research and reviewgives the reply.

Loyalty programs have been around for the reason that Eighties, with the introduction of loyalty programs frequent flyer programs.

The advancements in loyalty programs are enormous, with some even using game-based approaches equivalent to leaderboards, trophies, and treasure hunts to keep people engaged. The principle of loyalty is predicated on a type of social exchange, viz reciprocity.

An ongoing relationship implies that we recurrently use the nice or service because trust the service providerwe’re satisfied with the serviceand us consider the rewards we receive reasonable – whether discounts, vouchers or gifts.

In return, we accept the incontrovertible fact that in lots of cases loyalty programs collect data about us. Our purchasing history, often tied to our demographics, generates improvements in service delivery.

If we accept it, then yes proceed to benefit from rewards programsequivalent to promotional offers or other discounts. Effectiveness lies not only in presenting us with attractive offers for things we’re serious about purchasing, but additionally for other discounted items that we now have not considered purchasing.

Does it work?

So is that this the long run? The first issue is whether or not we’re satisfied with the gathering of information about us. There is a trade-off between the extent of personalization desired and the quantity of information we’re willing to share. Research has shown that the more personalized the programs are, the higher the more concerned we’re about crossing the boundaries of privacy. For example, lots of us dislike personalized communication about services via chatbots.

A second, related issue is that loyalty program data is and can proceed to be available huge value for external organizations. For example, market research can use loyalty program data to more closely track consumer trends. Scientists can use data Down draw conclusions about health behaviors.

While data from loyalty programs is invaluable for research purposes, not all shoppers are comfortable with their data being shared in this fashion. In a 2023 survey of 1,539 people conducted by Yasemin Hirst of Lancaster University and colleagues, 39% said that they didn’t want to share their personal data to academic institutions, and 56.9% didn’t want to share their personal data with private organizations.

What data people were willing to share also varied: for instance, people were more willing to share loyalty card data for research purposes (51.8%) than social media data (30.4%). Generally speaking, persons are concerned about privacy and misuse of their data.

All this points to data privacy and permission needed to share personal information with third-party advertisers and data brokers for web shoppers.

Tesco could also be trying to persuade us to make healthier selections.
Steve Travel/Shutterstock Guide

The final aspect is what the info reveals. Data from loyalty programs doesn’t give the complete picture buyer. We mix and match where we buy food due to our budget and geographical location. Some retailers have a greater reach and delivery in rural areas than others, which further influences our behavior.

This also implies that our degree of loyalty ensures only partial image what we find yourself buying, and how healthy our habits are.

New research

In our latest study, Sarah Jenkins and I conducted a study to have a look at issues related to what Murphy had in mind. We asked 389 people to rate how their grocery shopping behavior could possibly be influenced.

We checked out three categories. One included financial incentives and discount offers. The second method was classic “nudge” methods, equivalent to marking healthy or ecological options, campaigns or educational programs.

Finally, we checked out technology incentives that may be implemented using smartphones or laptops when shopping online. For example, there could also be suggestions for food selections or an automatic system that can only select healthy food selections. Alternatively, the system could rate your shopping selections based on how healthy they were.

Respondents rated all of those options on whether or not they could help promote healthy and green selections. Overall, participants preferred financial methods typically, especially discounts on healthy foods (44.7%). They also considered taxes on unhealthy food to be effective.

The least preferred were sustainability campaigns (6.3%) and automatic sustainability selections (6.5%), equivalent to online shopping algorithms that only offer us sustainable options. One possible reason could also be a lack of expertise of what sustainable development actually means.

Behavioral and financial methods were considered barely more ethical than technological methods, although most individuals found all options to be somewhat ethical.

That said, techniques to nudge human behavior in the precise direction don’t at all times work. People like or dislike them, depending on quite a lot of aspects, including whether it seems effective, whether it is moral, and whether or not they even have desire to change your behavior.

Future options

Market researchers in various ways study our shopping trendsthe identical pattern emerges: in about 25% of cases we do our grocery shopping online. The exact percentage varies depending on the country and the foods we buy, but the overall prediction is that this will increase to roughly 45% in the following 5-10 years.

This will mean further innovation in loyalty programs geared toward each acquiring latest customers and retaining the prevailing base. Retailers must subsequently pay attention to the shortcomings of this approach, including the incontrovertible fact that it doesn’t work on people who find themselves unwilling to change their behavior, that it only provides limited information and that there may come a degree when services grow to be personalized, that many individuals don’t need to share their data.

Some of us will proceed to enjoy the advantages of those programs so long as we now have the possibility to make a selection. Indeed, some people want suggestions to make it easier to select healthy or sustainable options, but others don’t. It’s necessary to have a selection.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Jury awarded $310 million to parents of teenager who died after falling on a ride at Florida amusement park – Essence

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Sun Sentinel/Getty Images

The family of Tire Sampson, the 14-yr-old who tragically died on an amusement park ride in Orlando, Florida, in 2022, has been awarded $310 million in a civil lawsuit.

Tire, who was visiting ICON Park along with his family on March 24, 2022, fell from the FreeFall drop tower. Although he was taken to a nearby hospital, he didn’t survive his injuries.

Now, greater than two years later, a jury has held the vehicle manufacturer, Austria-based Funtime Handels, responsible for the accident and awarded the Tire family $310 million. According to reports from local news stations WFTV AND KSDKthe jury reached its verdict after about an hour of deliberation.

Tyre’s parents will each receive $155 million, according to attorney spokesman Michael Haggard.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, who represented Tyre’s family, shared their thoughts on this landmark decision via X (formerly Twitter). “This ruling is a step forward in holding corporations accountable for the safety of their products,” they said in a statement.

Lawyers stressed that Tyre’s death was attributable to “gross negligence and a failure to put safety before profits.” They added that the ride’s manufacturer had “neglected its duty to protect passengers” and that the substantial award ensured it could “face the consequences of its decisions.”

Crump and Jackson said they hope the result will encourage change throughout the theme park industry. “We hope this will spur the entire industry to enforce more stringent safety measures,” they said. “Tire heritage will provide a safer future for drivers around the world.”

An investigation previously found that Tyre’s harness was locked through the descent, but he dislodged from his seat through the 430-foot fall when the magnets engaged. Tire’s death was ruled the result of “multiple injuries and trauma.”

ICON Park said at the time that it could “fully cooperate” with the authorities.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Tireless HIV/AIDS advocate A. Cornelius Baker dies

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HIV/AIDS Advocate, A. Cornelius Baker


A. Cornelius Baker, a tireless advocate of HIV and AIDS testing, research and vaccination, died Nov. 8 at his home in Washington, D.C., of hypertensive, atherosclerotic heart problems, in response to his partner, Gregory Nevins.

As previously reported, Baker was an early supporter for people living with HIV and AIDS within the Nineteen Eighties, when misinformation and fear-mongering in regards to the disease were rampant.

According to Douglas M. Brooks, director of the Office of National AIDS Policy under President Obama, it was Baker’s Christian faith that guided him toward compassion for others.

“He was very kind, very warm and inclusive – his circles, both professional and personal, were the most diverse I have ever seen, and he was guided by his Christian values,” Brooks told the outlet. “His ferocity was on display when people were marginalized, rejected or forgotten.”

In 1995, when he was executive director of the National AIDS Association, Baker pushed for June 27 to be designated National HIV Testing Day.

In 2012, he later wrote on the web site of the Global Health Advisor for which he was a technical advisor that: “These efforts were intended to help reduce the stigma associated with HIV testing and normalize it as part of regular screening.”

https://twitter.com/NBJContheMove/status/1856725113967632663?s=19

Baker also feared that men like himself, black gay men, and other men from marginalized communities were disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS.

Baker pressured the Clinton administration to incorporate black and Latino people in clinical drug trials, and in 1994 he pointedly told the Clinton administration that he was bored with hearing guarantees but seeing no motion.

According to Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings, yes that daring attitude that defines Baker’s legacy in the world of ​​HIV/AIDS promotion.

“Cornelius was a legendary leader in the fight for equality for LGBTQ+ people and all people living with HIV,” Jennings said in a press release. “In the more than twenty years that I knew him, I was continually impressed not only by how effective he was as a leader, but also by how he managed to strike the balance between being fierce and kind at the same time. His loss is devastating.”

Jennings continued: “Cornelius’ leadership can’t be overstated. For many years, he was one in all the nation’s leading HIV/AIDS warriors, working locally, nationally and internationally. No matter where he went, he proudly supported the HIV/AIDS community from the Nineteen Eighties until his death, serving in various positions including the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Association of Persons with Disabilities AIDS, and the Whitman-Walker Clinic . Jennings explained.

Jennings concluded: “His career also included several honors, including being the first recipient of the American Foundation for AIDS Research Foundation’s organization-building Courage Award. Our communities have lost a pillar in Cornelius, and as we mourn his death, we will be forever grateful for his decades of service to the community.”

Kaye Hayes, deputy assistant secretary for communicable diseases and director of the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Policy, in her comment about his legacy, she called Baker “the North Star.”.

“It is difficult to overstate the impact his loss had on public health, the HIV/AIDS community or the place he held in my heart personally,” Hayes told Hiv.gov. “He was pushing us, charging us, pulling us, pushing us. With his unwavering commitment to the HIV movement, he represented the north star, constructing coalitions across sectors and dealing with leaders across the political spectrum to deal with health disparities and advocate for access to HIV treatment and look after all. He said, “The work isn’t done, the charge is still there, move on – you know what you have to do.” It’s in my ear and in my heart in the case of this job.

Hayes added: “His death is a significant loss to the public health community and to the many others who benefited from Cornelius’ vigilance. His legacy will continue to inspire and motivate us all.”

Baker is survived by his mother, Shirley Baker; his partner Nevins, who can be senior counsel at Lambda Legal; his sisters Chandrika Baker, Nadine Wallace and Yavodka Bishop; in addition to his two brothers, Kareem and Roosevelt Dowdell; along with the larger HIV/AIDS advocacy community.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Health and Wellness

Bovaer is added to cow feed to reduce methane emissions. Does it pass into milk and meat? And is it harmful to humans?

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There are growing concerns in regards to the use of feed supplements, Bowar 10to reduce methane production in cows.

Bovaer 10 consists of silicon dioxide (mainly sand), propylene glycol (food stabilizer approved by Food Safety Australia New Zealand) and lively substance 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP).

There has been an enormous amount of misinformation in regards to the safety of 3-NOP, with some milk from herds fed this additive being labeled “Frankenmilk”. Others feared it could get to humans through beef.

The most significant thing is that 3-NOP is secure. Let’s clear up some major misconceptions.

Why do we want to limit methane production?

In our attempts to limit global warming, we’ve placed the best emphasis on CO₂ because the major man-made greenhouse gas. But methane is also a greenhouse gas, and although we produce less of it, it is: a much stronger greenhouse gas than CO₂.

Agriculture is the largest a man-made source of methane. As cattle herds expand to meet our growing demand for meat and milk, reducing methane production from cows is a vital way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

There are several ways to do that. Stopping bacteria within the stomachs of cows that produce methane one approach is to produce methane.

The methane produced by cows and sheep doesn’t come from the animals themselves, but from the microbes living of their digestive systems. 3-NO stop the enzymes that perform the last step of methane synthesis in these microorganisms.

3-NOP is not the one compound tested as a feed additive. Australian product based on seaweed, Rumin8for instance, it is also in development. Saponins, soap-like chemicals present in plants, and essential oils as well has been examined.

However, 3-NOP is currently one of the popular effective treatments.

Nitrooxypropanol structure: red balls are oxygen, gray carbon, blue nitrogen and white hydrogen.
PubChem

But is not it poison?

There are concerns on social media that Bovaer is “poisoning our food.”

But, as we are saying in toxicology, it’s the dose that makes the poison. For example, arsenic is deadly 2–20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

In contrast, 3-NOP was not lethal on the doses utilized in safety studies, up to 600 mg 3-NOP per kg body weight. At a dose of 100 mg per kg body weight in rats, it didn’t cause any adversarial effects.

What about reproductive issues?

The effect of 3-NOP on the reproductive organs has generated numerous commentary.

Studies in rats and cows showed that doses of 300–500 mg per kg body weight caused: contraction of the ovaries and testicles.

In comparison, to achieve the identical exposure in humans, a 70 kg human would want to eat 21–35 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of pure 3-NOP every day for a lot of weeks to see this effect.

No human will likely be exposed to this amount because 3-NOP doesn’t pass into milk – is fully metabolized within the cow’s intestines.

No cow will likely be exposed to these levels either.

The cow licks itself
Cows will not be exposed to levels tested on animals in laboratory studies.
Ground photo/Shutterstock

What about cancer?

3-NOP is not genotoxic or mutagenicwhich implies it cannot damage DNA. Thus, the results of 3-NOP are dose-limited, meaning that small doses will not be harmful, while very high doses are (unlike radiation where there is no secure dose).

Scientists found that at a dose of 300 mg per kilogram of body weight benign tumors of the small intestine of female ratsbut not male rats, after 2 years of every day consumption. At a dose of 100 mg 3-NOP per kg body weight, no tumors were observed.

Cows eat lower than 2 grams of Bovaer 10 per day (of which only 10% or 0.2 grams is 3-NOP). This is about 1,000 times lower than the appropriate every day intake 1 mg 3-NOP per kg body weight per day for a cow weighing 450 kg.

This level of consumption will likely be not the result in cancer or any of them other adversarial effects.

So how much are people exposed to?

Milk and meat consumers will likely be exposed to zero 3-NOP. 3-NOP doesn’t penetrate milk and meat: is completely metabolized within the cow’s intestines.

Farmers could also be exposed to small amounts of the feed additive, and industrial employees producing 3-NOP will potentially be exposed to larger amounts. Farmers and industrial employees already wear personal protective equipment to reduce exposure to other agricultural chemicals – and it is advisable to do that with Bovear 10 as well.

Milk
3-NOP doesn’t penetrate milk and meat.
Shutterstock

How widely has it been tested?

3-NOP has been in development for 15 years and has been subject to multiple reviews by European Food Safety Authority, UK Food Safety Authority AND others.

It has been extensively tested over months of exposure to cattle and has produced no unintended effects. Some studies actually say so improves the standard of milk and meat.

Bovaer was approved for use in dairy cattle by the European Union from 2022 and Japan in 2024. It is also utilized in many other countries, including: in beef products, amongst others Australia.

A really small amount of 3-NOP enters the environment (lower than 0.2% of the dose taken), no accumulates and is easily decomposed subsequently, it doesn’t pose a threat to the environment.

Since humans will not be exposed to 3-NOP through milk and meat, long-term exposure is not an issue.

What does Bill Gates have to do with this?

Bill Gates has invested in a distinct feed processing method for methane, Australian seaweed-based Rumin8. But he has nothing to do with Bovaer 10.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded research grants to the corporate producing 3-NOP for malaria control researchnot for 3-NOP.

The bottom line is that adding 3-NOP to animal feed doesn’t pose any risk to consumers, animals or the environment.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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