When it comes to general health, many Americans choose to reach for medication rather than make a lifestyle change. New York-based start-up BrainThrive is hoping to help people pop fewer pills by with exercises proven to improve their conditions. We explore the insights behind why personalised workout plans are appealing to those seeking new ways to treat chronic conditions.
Noticing the soothing effect workouts had on her psyche, neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki researched the potential for exercise to alleviate mental and physical illnesses. She developed BrainThrive, an app which 'prescribes' physical activity to a person according to their condition and its severity. It may encourage aerobic activity to help with the lasting effects of chemotherapy, for example, or instruct PTSD sufferers to take up yoga, or motivate kids with ADHD to start cycling in order to feel calmer and more relaxed.
Nearly three in five Americans take a prescription medication of some kind, with more than 15% taking more than five each day. As a result, the number of prescriptions filled by all Americans has grown by 85% since 1997 – a staggering amount, considering the population has grown by just 21% over the same time period. From the disproportionate 75% of ADHD-suffering children taking pills to alleviate symptoms, to how just 38% of adults prescribed medication for depression actually meet its medical criteria, to the 15% of Seniors who suffer from a medication problem, the issue of overmedication extends across demographics. It’s no wonder that nearly 1.3 million people attended US emergency rooms due to adverse drug effects in 2014 alone, resulting in 124,000 deaths.
“Lots of different medications get started for reasons that are never supported by evidence,” says cardiologist Rita Redberg, editor in chief of JAMA Internal Medicine. “In general, we like the idea of taking a pill a lot better than non-drug measures, such as improved eating habits or exercise.” But offering people an easily-adopted alternative to treating their symptoms is important, especially seeing that only 35% of those taking prescription drugs say that their healthcare provider reviewed their prescription or sought out alternative treatment. By encouraging daily exercise, BrainThrive is helping patients regain a sense of self control while providing some with an alternative to reaching for the pill bottle.
Oriyan Prizant is a researcher at Canvas8, which specialises in behavioural insights and consumer research. He has a BA in law, which focused on people's perceptions of contract breaches, and cultivates an unhealthy interest in Korean pop music.
