Health & Fitness

Design Thinking for Better Health

Kristen Sparrow • January 09, 2016

Woman Tennis Player Acupuncture BlogI like this blog post that looks at ways to reframe problems (a technique used by innovators and entrepreneurs) to get to the core issue rather than the outcome wanted.  I think this approach is very, well, healthy and can lead to more durable results and gives me much food for thought.  Framing problems in life and science, asking the right question, and seeking more broad answers, is the way to go.

“Conducting my own personal empathy exercise helped me realize that weight loss was really not my problem. Instead, I needed to focus on my friendships, on boosting my energy and getting better sleep.

So reconnecting with friends and getting better sleep became my focus. I bought new clothes, which made it easier to make social plans.

And surprisingly, this new, more empathetic approach to my own needs also illuminated some ways to improve my diet. I realized a carb crash around lunchtime was making me very tired during the day, so I eliminated sugar and processed carbohydrates and immediately had more energy. In shifting my focus away from weight loss to the real issues weighing on my life, I ended up losing 25 pounds.”