Temptation Bundling

A doodle walks on a home treadmill while watching an episode of Dateline on television.

Here at We ❤️ Health Literacy HQ, our ears always perk up at the mention of techniques that can help encourage behavior change. Which is why, not too long ago, we shared a post about habit stacking. This week, we’re building on stacking (get it?) to bring you some thoughts about its very useful relative: temptation bundling.

As far as we can tell, “temptation bundling” was originally coined by Katherine Milkman, who also studied it. So what is it exactly? Temptation bundling is when you combine an instantly gratifying behavior that you want to do with something you don’t want to do but know you should do to get long-term benefits. Put more simply, it’s pairing something you have to do with something you want to do. The idea is that the immediate reward of getting to do the “want” behavior makes the “should” behavior more palatable — and therefore more achievable.

Here’s a version of the most common temptation bundling example: You’re trying to fit more physical activity in your daily routine — but all you really want to do is watch reruns of Dateline. If you were using temptation bundling, you could make a rule for yourself that you can only watch Dateline reruns while you’re at the gym. Essentially, the temptation of getting to watch your favorite show helps overcome your lack of motivation to get to the gym. 

So the next time you’re encouraging your readers to do something that you know may take some extra motivation, think about whether the concept of temptation bundling could help. Sticking with a physical activity example: “Struggling with the motivation to fit physical activity into your busy schedule? You’re not alone! You could try combining your physical activity time with something you love, like by listening to your favorite podcast or audiobook while you’re walking on the treadmill. If you keep this up, your brain may start to connect the 2 activities — and that can help you push past the lack of motivation and develop healthier habits over time.”

As with habit stacking, James Clear covers temptation bundling in his very popular book, Atomic Habits, which is a great resource to learn more about putting temptation bundling (and habit stacking!) into practice. You can also check out this excerpt

The bottom line: Temptation bundling — or pairing a “want” behavior with a “should” behavior —  is another great tool for the health communicator’s behavior change toolbox.


Copy and paste to share on social (and tag us!): Temptation bundling —  when you pair a “want” behavior with a “should” behavior —  is a great tool for the #HealthComm professional’s behavior change toolbox. CommunicateHealth explains: https://bit.ly/493azJ7 #HealthCommunication #HealthLiteracy

We’re All Getting Older

A group of happy older doodles. One doodle uses a wheelchair and is holding hands with another doodle. The other 2 are waving. In the current conversation about health equity and social determinants of health, there’s a lot of focus on racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ communities, and people with disabilities — populations that have been discriminated against in ways that have harmed their health. Today, we want to focus on older adults, a group that sometimes gets left out of this critical equity convo. And the timing of the convo really is critical.

That’s because right now, the United States is older than ever before. And experts expect that trend to continue — by 2050, predictions put the number of U.S. adults age 65 and older at 82 million. That’s a whopping 47% increase from 2022, when there were 58 million. Essentially, we’re getting older, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

One thing that’s well documented is that older adults are more likely to have limited literacy skills than many other groups. Some things that happen naturally when we age (think: vision and hearing issues) play a role — so does the fact that older adults, understandably, may have trouble keeping up with our incredibly fast-moving technological landscape. Older adults also have higher rates of chronic diseases, meaning they generally need more health care.

So it’s a tricky equation: people with complex health care needs who are likely, due to factors outside their control, to have trouble understanding health info and accessing health care. What’s a health communicator to do? We’ve got a few ideas:

  • Always use respectful language when communicating to and about older adults. We’ve shared tips for addressing older adults before, and now’s a great time for a refresher. In general, swap terms like “the elderly” or “seniors” for “older adults” — or get specific about age ranges. We also ❤️ this blog post on avoiding ageism in your writing from the National Institute on Aging, particularly the tip to use first-person (“we/us”) instead of third-person (“they/them”) when writing about older populations. As the author astutely points out, we’re all aging! So when appropriate, let’s take this opportunity not to “other” this group.
  • Tailor your materials and your outreach/dissemination strategies. This is an across-the-board best practice, but it bears repeating. Strategies like increasing font size in a material can go a long way toward making it more accessible to older people with vision loss, for example. Older adults may also prefer reading health info in print, so think about whether you need to provide print versions of materials (and if you’re writing digital content for older adults, make sure it’s print-friendly). We also know that older adults may rely heavily on caregivers to get information, so make sure they’ve got a place at the table, too. These are just a couple examples, and there are many more (including a few in our post on health literacy and older adults).
  • Explicitly call out barriers specific to older adults and offer “next-best” options. We know that older adults often have trouble getting to health care appointments. So if you’re working on a material for older audiences or their caregivers, name the barrier: “It’s normal to have trouble getting to in-person doctor visits as we age. If you’re worried about getting to the doctor, it might help to set up a phone call appointment to discuss it with your doctor. There may also be programs in your community that can help you get to appointments — try calling your local senior or community center to find out more.”
  • Be mindful of intersectionality within this audience. If you refer to the first paragraph of this post, we named “racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ communities, and people with disabilities” as groups often affected by health disparities. And guess what? An older adult could be all 3 of those things! Just as the number of older adults is increasing, so is diversity within the audience. It’s far past time that we start accounting for intersectionality within the older population by creating communications and interventions that speak to the diversity of our aging population.

One last thought: As we know, health comm strategies alone can’t fix systemic issues. That’s why it’s important to advocate for bigger changes that can improve quality of life for all of us as we age. This report from Justice in Aging has a great list of 5 key areas that we can invest in to advance equity for older adults (note it’s specifically for older adults with lower incomes, but the areas stand), like improving anti-discrimination laws and policies. This could also look like naming ageism as a social determinant of health when it comes up in your work.

The bottom line: The U.S. population is getting older, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. As health communicators, there are steps we can take to help advance equity for older adults.


Copy and paste to share on social (and tag us!): The U.S. population is getting older. CommunicateHealth has some ideas for #HealthComm professionals to help advance equity for older adults. Take a look: https://bit.ly/3IAS2sK #HealthLiteracy #HealthEquity

Beware the Singular “Community” (Sometimes)

A group of doodles are in a box labeled Community. A perplexed doodle on the outside of the box says, I don't think we'll all fit.

If there’s 1 word we say a lot in public health, it’s “community.” In addition to how it comes up anecdotally in our work, the word is baked into key public health concepts — think “community health,” “community-based orgs,” “community-based participatory research,” and the like. This makes perfect sense, as oftentimes public health professionals do work in a single, specific community.

But today we want to talk about a different use of the word “community” that we’ve been noodling on here at We ❤️ Health Literacy HQ: when health comm and public health professionals use the singular form of “community” to write (and talk) at a high level about our audiences. So, the LGBTQ+ community. The Black community. The autistic community.

Though it’s not uncommon to use the word like this (we’ve all done it!), let’s pause and think about what it implies when we “singular community” those groups of people. (And yes, we just used “singular community” as a verb, which it’s not — but stick with us.) There certainly isn’t only 1 LGBTQ+ community, is there? What about a single Black community? One set of autistic people comprising 1 autistic community? Absolutely not!

Rather, we know that our audiences reflect and include the diverse identities of all the individuals within those audiences. Which is exactly why we think it’s time to banish these massively oversimplified catchall terms from our health comm vocabularies! Sometimes, this is as simple as switching to plural:

  • Instead of: The Black community in the United States has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
  • Use: Black communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

And other times, you might want to skip “community” altogether:

  • Instead of: The autistic community often prefers identity-first language.
  • Use: Many autistic people prefer identity-first language.

One more thing: In addition to being reductive, normalizing use of the singular form of “community” to refer to our audiences can have sneaky implications. Words are powerful, and when we acknowledge through the language we use that there isn’t just 1 LGBTQ+ or Black or autistic community — even when talking to each other — it can serve as a reminder to keep the needs of our diverse audiences top of mind (hello, audience segmentation and intersectionality!). And that, dear readers, is a critical part of our job as health communicators.

The bottom line: Beware of the singular “community” when writing and talking about your audiences. Groups of individual people are never monolithic.


Copy and paste to share on social (and tag us!): Think twice before you use the singular “community” to refer to your #HealthComm audiences, says CommunicateHealth. Remember, groups of individual people are never monolithic! Read more: https://bit.ly/3V38WrD #HealthLiteracy #HealthCommunication

Inclusive Language Tips for Writing About Families

3 happy, diverse doodle families: one adoptive family, one with grandparents raising a small child, and a single-parent household.

Love is (still) in the air — but don’t worry, we’re not here to talk about romance via overpriced chocolates and flowers. Instead, we wanted to chat about another kind of emotional bond: family relationships. More specifically, we’ve been thinking about the language we use to talk about families — and how we, as health communicators, can make that language as inclusive as possible.

Fortunately, the days of assuming that a “family” comprises a mom, a dad, and biological children (the “nuclear” family) are long gone. There are tons of different family models — single-parent households, adoptive or foster parents, grandparents raising kids, “blended” families… the list goes on.

In most public health communication materials, the classic “parent” has been replaced by “parent or caregiver” in an effort to include other family models. That’s a good start — but we can take it further. When writing for and about families, think carefully before using the terms below — and if in doubt, swap them out for more inclusive options:

  • “Mom,” “dad,” or “parent.” Depending on context and your audience, consider using “caregiver,” “adult,” or “grown-up” instead. It also may be worth giving some thought to whether you want a plural or singular term, since there may only be 1 person caring for a child at home.
  • “Daughter” or “son.” Opt for more inclusive terms like “child” or “kid,” which have the added benefit of being gender neutral.
  • “Household members” or “members of a household.” If you’re using this term to mean families, keep in mind that families don’t always live together — they may have parents who are divorced or incarcerated, for example. Instead, just say “family members.”
  • “Extended family.” This is usually meant to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But in many cultures, this isn’t “extended” family — it’s just family.

And one more thing to keep in mind: Avoid making assumptions about who does what in a family. Consider this header: “5 quick and healthy recipes for busy moms.” This assumes not only that mom does the cooking — but that there’s a mom in the family to do it in the first place. Instead, you might say: “5 quick and healthy recipes for busy families.”

The bottom line: When we model respect for families by using inclusive language, we create a connection — and that makes our public health communications more effective.


Copy and paste to share on social: In #HealthComm materials, we sometimes write about families. Let’s make sure we do that using inclusive language! CommunicateHealth has some thoughts: https://bit.ly/4bYeD06 #HealthLiteracy

15 Favorites (for the 15th!)

2 doodles with birthday hats on hold up a 15th birthday candle

As we told you last week, dear readers, February 9 marked CH’s 15th birthday! So to keep the celebration going just a bit longer, in lieu of our standard archive post this week (which just happens to fall on the 15th), we’re rounding up 15 favorites from the archive.

And it wasn’t easy to choose just 15! A couple were pretty clear off the bat — of course we had to include the launch of our Equity-Centered Health Communication Framework, for example. There have also been a handful of posts that feel similarly foundational to our work and our company, like those on the importance of empathy in health comm and how health literacy, as we ❤️ to say, is a state and not a trait.

We also wanted to include a few posts from our unofficial series on common public health industry terms that we think need to go. We’re looking at you “target audience,” “hard-to-reach populations,” and “vulnerable communities!”

And in perhaps the understatement of the century, COVID gave us a lot to think and write about. You could even say that the pandemic put health comm on the proverbial map (we did say that, actually), and it put massively important conversations — like how we need to name racism (not race) as a risk factor for disease — on display in the mainstream, where they belong.

COVID also had us thinking a lot about how to dispel harmful myths, even how to get ahead of those myths before they get too much traction. And although the post is from pre-COVID times, tips for writing about U-turns in health guidance proved useful again and again.

It seems wrong not to include at least a couple of posts on more technical writing topics, so here we’ll remind plain language writers everywhere of 2 of your very best friends: the Oxford comma (superpower: ensuring clarity) and also zombies (superpower: fighting passive voice).

Finally, we’re going to close this post out with a bit of an outlier — but we enjoyed researching and writing it so much that we want to make sure you caught our celebration of LGBTQ+ public health/health comm heroes!

Whew, we’re pretty worn out after all that reminiscing. Time to relax with a movie. Perhaps we’ll throw on… Contagion?


Copy and paste to share on social: This week, to keep the 15th birthday celebration going, the CommunicateHealth team is rounding up 15 favorite We ❤️ Health Literacy posts (and on the 15th no less!): https://bit.ly/4bC7cLM #HealthLiteracy #HealthComm

CommunicateHealth Is 15

A 15th anniversary celebratory version of CommunicateHealth's logo appears on a stage

This week, we’re deviating from our regular programming (and regular schedule) to bring you an exciting update from our main Headquarters: Today, CommunicateHealth is 15 years old. 15! That’s 15 years of work based on a single, shared belief: Everyone deserves clear and simple information about their health. Huge shout out to the stellar clients and inspiring colleagues who made this possible. We’re very proud — and even more thankful.

As you may have noticed over the years, we try to keep this blog focused on actionable content for health communicators. But it feels important to share this milestone anniversary with you, dear readers. After all, some of you have been with us for 11 of those 15 years (the inaugural We ❤️ Health Literacy post ran in July of 2013)!

And with that in mind, you probably know what we’re going to say next. But since it’s both true and important to us, we’re going to say it anyway: You make our work better, and for that we thank you sincerely.

Oh, and keep an eye out — especially on our LinkedIn page — over the next few months for some anniversary-themed content!

With gratitude (and unwavering ❤️ for health literacy),
Your friends at CommunicateHealth

Things We ❤️: Science Vs.

A doodle wearing headphones holds their phone showing Science Vs. podcast branding.

Here at We ❤️ Health Literacy Headquarters, we’re avid podcast listeners — and you won’t be surprised to learn that health, medicine, and science podcasts are at the top of our listening lists. So you can imagine how excited we were when we discovered a science podcast that presents the facts about a huge variety of (often health-related) topics in a way that’s easy to understand and super fun!

Science Vs. regularly tackles new fads and trends (should we guzzle tons of water to stay healthy?) and dives into long-running debates (do we really need to floss?) The host and producers don’t shy away from more serious topics either (like the misinformation surrounding gender-affirming health care for transgender kids).

No matter the topic, the folks at Science Vs. are pros at explaining it in plain language. In fact, we’ve turned to Science Vs. episodes more than once to help us explain something to our own audiences!

The bottom line: Science Vs. is an entertaining podcast that clearly explains what the science says about a whole host of topics. It’s well worth a listen!


Copy and paste this post to share: Looking for a new podcast? Science Vs. serves up entertaining #PlainLanguage explanations of tricky science-y (and often health-related) topics, says CommunicateHealth: https://bit.ly/49lXefJ @sciencevs #HealthComm #HealthLiteracy

TV Club: Call the Midwife

A doodle gestures to a TV screen with a scene from Call the Midwife on.

We probably don’t have to tell you, dear readers, that there have been some very chilly days as of late. With much of the country walloped by Arctic air and wintry precipitation, we’ve been spending lots of time engaged in one of America’s favorite pastimes: watching television.

So this week we’re suggesting that you check out Call the Midwife (currently on Netflix), the perfect January binge for public health professionals. The show isn’t new — quite the reverse, actually: It’s already been going for an impressive 13 seasons, and it shows no sign of slowing down yet. It fact, BBC has renewed it for at least 2 more seasons.  

And we’re glad to hear it because we ❤️ Call the Midwife! This heartwarming British drama follows a group of nurse midwives working in the underserved Poplar district of London’s East End in the 1950s and 60s. The show was originally based on the very real memoirs of Jennifer Worth, a nurse midwife who trained in Poplar, arriving to home births on her trusty bicycle.

And while the primary duty of the nurse midwives was to provide obstetric care, their work extended far beyond babies. We also see them running community-based health clinics where they counsel patients and distribute health information (hello, health literacy). And they pay close attention to health-adjacent goings-on in the community. In fact, Call the Midwife could be a PSA for community-based public health/health care approaches. The nurse midwives get to know the families they serve in their own homes, in their own neighborhoods. They earn the trust of people in Poplar — they are witnesses to their patients’ needs, challenges, and relationships. They watch, they learn, and they approach their work with humility and respect for the people they serve.  

You could also say Call the Midwife is something of a love letter to vaccines. We see the devastating effects of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, standard fare in communities like Poplar at the time. We see the nurse midwives promote the benefits of new vaccines as they hold vaccine clinics in the community (trusted messengers, anyone?). And we see the impact of vaccines unfold. The show highlights the importance of other forms of preventive care, too — like cervical cancer screening. Actually, it touches on pretty much everything you can think of in the health space, including some things you don’t often see in hit television shows — like female genital mutilation and incest.

And on a final note, the nurse midwives live at an Anglican convent during their time serving the people of Poplar. We hope you’ll enjoy the dynamic as eager nurse midwives mix with a delightful group of nuns — some, midwives themselves — who don’t always condone the secular women’s life choices.

The bottom line: Call the Midwife is packed with public health goodness, critical health care lessons, and health literacy highlights.


Post about it on X: This week, @CommunicateHlth is bringing you the latest installment of the We ❤️ Health Literacy TV Club — all about Call the Midwife: https://bit.ly/42g7pQk #HealthLiteracy

Health Comm Headlines: Let’s Talk About Ozempic

A doodle reads a newspaper and the headline says, Oh oh oh Ozempic.

If your news feed is anything like ours, dear readers, you’ve probably seen plenty of headlines about Ozempic. This popular medication is part of an emerging class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists that are revolutionizing type 2 diabetes treatment. These drugs can also help people lose weight — and they’re changing the way many health professionals think about, talk about, and treat obesity. Meanwhile, patients are facing big decisions about these medications at a time when they’re so new, even the experts don’t have all the answers.

Sounds like a case for health communicators! So in today’s edition of Health Comm Headlines, we’re looking past the hype to explore how Ozempic and similar drugs are affecting people’s everyday lives. Onto the headlines!

  • FDA Approves Zepbound, a New Obesity Drug That Will Take On Wegovy (NPR)
    While Ozempic dominated headlines in 2023, pharmaceutical companies are racing to develop even more effective diabetes and weight loss medications. In November of last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Eli Lilly’s new weight loss drug, Zepbound. (It’s already sold as a type 2 diabetes medication under the name Mounjaro.) In clinical trials, people who took Zepbound lost an average of 20% of their body weight — results on par with bariatric surgery.
  • Obesity in the Age of Ozempic (Vox)
    Over the past decade, conversations about weight stigma, diet culture, and bias in health care have entered the mainstream, slowly shifting long-held assumptions about the relationship between weight and health. With the arrival of Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications, however, a new narrative has taken center stage: Obesity is a chronic health condition that needs to be managed with lifelong treatment. Some people who are taking GLP-1 meds struggle to reconcile these conflicting ideas about weight and figure out the best way to care for their health.
  • Supply Problems and Insurance Issues Make Popular Weight-Loss Drugs Hard to Get (AP)
    Imagine wondering “Will I be able to get my medicine this time?” every time you need a refill. Due to surging demand, pharmacies can’t keep GLP-1 meds in stock, leaving many people scrambling. Pricing is another barrier: These drugs can cost more than $1,000 per month out of pocket, and some insurance companies won’t cover them (or will only cover them for people with type 2 diabetes). These challenges have sparked ethical debates about who “should” have access to GLP-1 medications. If these drugs are only accessible to people who have certain health insurance plans — or thousands of dollars to spend on meds — health disparities linked to diabetes and obesity may continue to grow.
  • We Need to Talk About Teens and Weight-Loss Drugs (Romper)
    In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines for treating childhood obesity, noting that medication can be an effective treatment option for some teens who’ve struggled to lose weight through other methods. The topic of weight loss medication for teens raises complex questions about consent and body autonomy. To add even more complexity, we don’t know how GLP-1 meds may affect people’s health years down the road. Do people who lose weight on these medications really need to continue taking them for the rest of their lives? For many, the long-term plan is unclear.
  • How a Canadian Scientist and a Venomous Lizard Helped Pave the Way for Ozempic (Global News)
    If you’re not tired of reading about GLP-1 medications yet, join us for this fascinating look back at scientific history. This article chronicles the breakthroughs that led to Ozempic’s development. (Spoiler alert: A Gila monster plays a key role.)

The bottom line: Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications are revolutionizing type 2 diabetes treatment — and changing the way health professionals approach obesity. As health communicators, we can help people make sense of these new medications and make informed decisions.

Continue reading “Health Comm Headlines: Let’s Talk About Ozempic”

Health Comm Headlines: 2023 in Review

A doodle holds up a newspaper. The headline reads Goodbye 2023... Hello 2024.

Happy New Year, dear readers! Here at We ❤️ Health Literacy HQ, we’re looking forward to another year of health comm adventures — and we’re thrilled that you’re along for the ride with us. To start us off, we compiled just a few of the health topics that made headlines in 2023 — and added a couple things to watch for in 2024. Enjoy!

The bottom line: It’s bound to be another eventful year — and we’ll be here advocating for the clear communication and access to resources that everyone deserves to protect their health.

Continue reading “Health Comm Headlines: 2023 in Review”