Towards a Healthier Life: Changing Minds about Changing Behaviour

Unhealthy food, smoking, inactivity and excess alcohol consumption are some of the leading causes of reduced life expectancy. So why is it that people find it so hard to avoid unhealthy behaviours, and what should we do about it?

The environment around us exerts a stronger impact on our health behaviours than the choices we make as individuals, says expert Professor Dame Theresa Marteau DBE.

Come and take part in the conversation with Theresa and Nesta's CEO, Ravi Gurumurthy on 22 July at midday as she sets out why measures like making unhealthy products less affordable are urgently needed. If people are to be healthier, we need to change minds about how we change behaviour.

If you can’t make the event, the recording will be made available shortly after the event - register now to have it sent directly to your inbox!

Register here!

Professor Dame Theresa Marteau

Professor Dame Theresa Marteau is Director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on the development and evaluation of interventions to change behaviour to improve population health and reduce health inequalities, with a particular focus on targeting non-conscious processes. She co-chairs The Lancet-Chatham House Commission on improving population health post COVID-19 and participates in the UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), responding to Covid-19, and in particular, two SAGE subgroups: the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours and the Environmental Modelling Group. Dame Theresa is also Director of Studies for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Christ’s College, Cambridge.