Jamie Hamblin’s Thoughts On Health Innovation
Growing up playing a lot of sports, I became interested in nutrition because of its ability to enhance performance in sports. What held my attention, and what really motivated me to go to graduate school to study nutrition, was learning what we eat has the power to prevent and even, at times, reverse disease.
Part of me will always love social entrepreneurships. In 2015, I had the unique opportunity to participate in the Center for Civic Innovation’s Food Access Lab, a business accelerator program for local food-related entrepreneurships. Through CCI, I met dozens of entrepreneurs with food businesses focused on generating social capital over profit. It’s hard to choose a favorite. Robby Ashgrove (Fruit Forward), Jamila Norman (Patchwork City Farms), Susan Pavlin (Global Growers Network), Marion Liou (We Love BuHi) — amazing men and women who are increasing food access and/or economic opportunity for local Atlantans through their businesses.
If you are interested in global nutrition trends, Dr. Barry Popkin, developer of the concept of the Nutrition Transition, is a must read. His research describes the evolution of trends in food production and consumption in relationship to a country’s stage of development as well as its food policies and programs. According to Popkin, one trend seen globally over the past 100 years is the “sweetening of the global diet.” Today, 68% of all US food products and beverages contain a caloric sweetener. While there is not necessarily a broad consensus on the cardiometabolic effects of this trend — different foods and beverages contain different types of sweeteners — we do know increased sugar intake also increases risk of weight gain and diabetes, which is less than optimal for the individual as well as the global community.
While I don’t know very much about health startups such as Habit, I am pro-innovation. The relative information people can learn about themselves via tech advancements can be very valuable. Fitbits, for example, can increase a user’s access to quantifiable information about their daily lives and can serve as a powerful tool in helping people meet their health goals. At the same time, I recognize there is not a “one size fits all” when it comes to health and wellness. For one person, a Fitbit is the best thing since sliced bread, and for someone else, that same Fitbit may be meaningless. Honestly, I don’t think I have enough information to comment on whether I think these advancements are beneficial or lead to focusing too much on restrictive diets. That is a good research question for someone out there!
Advice for colleges students:
Find ways to actually enjoy taking care of yourself. It’s tempting to think the best and most efficient way to “get healthy” is to do something extreme. In my early twenties, I remember signing up for half-marathons with a sense of dread in my stomach and thinking, “Well, this is just what people do once they graduate college to stay healthy.” Instead of forcing yourself to pound the pavement for twelve miles or join Cross Fit, check out group fitness classes tailored to your interests or look into buying a bike. Instead of going gluten-free, arrange a weekly healthy brunch with your friends. Build a healthy life around activities, relationships and interests you enjoy.
**These responses reflect my opinion and not necessarily the stance of the Center for the Study of Human Health at Emory University.
Written by Jamie Hamblin
Health Educator | Center for the Study of Human Health | Emory University
