Why is it so difficult to change the way we eat, even when we know what a healthy and sustainable diet looks like?

In this episode, hosts Adam Fogarasi and Gretchen Repasky explore why dietary change is not simply a matter of knowledge or willpower. Drawing on insights from consumer behaviour and public health research, the episode highlights how food choices are shaped by habits, routines and immediate factors such as price, convenience and taste, rather than deliberate decision-making .

The conversation examines how culture, identity and social context influence eating patterns, and why dietary recommendations that ignore these factors often fail in practice. It also explores the limitations of information-based campaigns, showing that behaviour change typically requires a combination of motivation, capability and opportunity, rather than a single intervention.

Featuring Professor Jessica Ascherman-Wietzel, Aarhus University and Senior Researcher Sara Pires, Technical University of Denmark, the episode connects individual food choices with broader structural influences, including food environments, policy measures and accessibility.

At its core, the episode argues that lasting dietary change depends on realism. Rather than promoting idealised diets, effective strategies build on existing habits, cultural preferences and everyday constraints. Small, gradual adjustments—adapted to real lives—are more likely to lead to meaningful and sustained change over time.

Episode info

Guests,

Jessica Ascherman-Wietzel, Professor at Department of Management, Aarhus University
Sara Monteiro Pires, National Food Institute, Technical University Denmark

Hosts
Adam Fogarasi, PhD student, University of Copenhagen
Gretchen Repasky, Center Scientific Manager, Center for Protein Design, University of Copenhagen

Publisher
Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy

Audio engineering
Periscope

Producer
Adam Fogarasi
Gretchen Repasky