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8 Bringing the Pieces Together
Pages 81-86

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From page 81...
... epidemic involve interactions among several complex, ever-changing systems, including the food system, transportation systems, community infrastructure, school systems, health care systems, and the intricate behavioral and physiological systems that influence individual physical activity and eating behaviors and body weight" (IOM, 2012a, p.
From page 82...
... KINDS OF SYSTEMS MODELS Systems approaches have been generating great interest in public health over the past decade, Hammond stated. At the most fundamental level, a systems approach means taking the interactions among factors, agents, and levels into account to design a coordinated package of policies or interventions.
From page 83...
... These models should not be seen as crystal balls, Hammond warned; they do not eliminate the need to make difficult decisions or judgment calls. But they can serve as guides to policy and help policy makers deal with uncertainty by identifying policies that are robust despite uncertainty.
From page 84...
... Similarly, the availability of healthy food options near a park can help ensure that people who have just been active do not then fill up on sugar-sweetened beverages. A final example involves the beneficial effects of media literacy on reducing the impacts of advertising, discussed in Chapter 6.
From page 85...
... Finally, systems thinking can help engage nontraditional partners, such as civil rights lawyers, economists, and systems analysts, who do not fit into a traditional public health mold. The application of systems tools, whether qualitative or quantitative, requires data, funding, partnerships, and complementary approaches.


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