Location

MIT Media Lab, E14-633

Description

Our tastes and predilections for food are based neither on instinct or information, but cultural factors that are frequently derived from business imperatives. Yet habits emanating from these cultural factors become 'learned' instincts, complicating intervention strategies aimed at changing such habits. In this talk, Slavin will give a brief overview of the broad principles used to form those tastes, and some specific examples of how they’ve been made manifest in American diet and health. He will also discuss how similar principles can (and must) be put into practice when working to affect positive change.