Ground Truths Tom Frieden & Eric Topol - Discuss the Formula for Better Health Book
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Oct 1, 2025 Tom Frieden, former CDC director and public health leader, shares insights from his book on improving health. He discusses the 'Cassandra's curse' and the 'see, believe, create' formula for addressing public health inaction. Frieden highlights strategies to combat hyperbolic discounting, making future health benefits feel immediate. He critiques wellness industry hype and emphasizes proven interventions. The conversation also explores the need for funding and data in public health, and personal changes he made to reduce toxin exposure.
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Breaking The Cassandra Curse
- The Cassandra curse describes seeing warnings but not being believed, causing preventable tragedies to occur.
- Break it by improving detection, changing perceptions, and acting on visible models of future harm.
Make The Future Feel Immediate
- Counter hyperbolic discounting by making future benefits feel immediate through emotion and framing.
- Pair long-term goals with short-term rewards or visible community benefits to motivate action.
Ebola Model That Changed The Outcome
- In 2014 CDC warned Ebola would explode unless interventions scaled, using a model showing exponential growth and a route to control.
- When the model showed 70% safe care and burials, cases fell exactly as predicted after interventions were implemented.
