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This conversation is the third and final segment of SurfingMASH’s July discussion of #SLDThinkTank 2025. In addition to co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg, Louise Campbell and Roger Green, panelists include Dr. Kristina Curtis of Applied Behaviour Change, a UK-based consultancy. 

Louise begins this conversation by highlighting the low level of correct information (and, frequently, high level of passionately-held misinformation) that adults have about diet and her success in improving a family's behavior by educating parents about how to better help their children. Kristina replies that while knowledge and education are critical, they are not sufficient in themselves. She lists a variety of social or life priority factors that can also drive poor eating, from taking out fast food when too hungry to cook to not wanting to fight with one's children about eating their vegetables to comparing themselves to other, more obese friends or acquaintances.

Roger asks about the role politicians can play on these kinds of issues. Jörn observed that politicians at the Think Tank were motivated to act and thought about how to support better behavior. Louise noted that multi-metabolic programs with broad support can help many MASLD patients, even though MASLD is not in the stated goal for the program. Roger and Kristina note that politicians and government budget manager are motivated by short-term solutions with little thought to longer term consequences.

In the last part of this conversation, Roger asks the group to describe their reactions leavin the Think Tank in a single word. Louise and Kristina both choose "enlightened." Jörn chooses "inspiring" to describe Louise's comments and "motivating" to describe his own reaction. Listen to the conversation to hear the reasoning behind these word choices.