Measuring "The Good Life" - Alternative Metrics for National Wellbeing

01/09/23 • 41 min

This episode is about measuring “The Good Life.” Gross domestic product, or GDP, has been the longstanding indicator for evaluating a country’s performance and prosperity. But there is a growing movement to look beyond GDP, which only accounts for goods and services. Economists and other stakeholders argue the need for a better metric – one that considers health, access to education, happiness, and other dimensions of human welfare to provide a more complete picture.

Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, discusses the issue with two guests: Professor Ori Heffetz, a Princeton alum and visiting research scholar from Cornell and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; and Yanchun Zhang, chief statistician at the United Nations Development Programme and proponent of the Human Development Index, an alternative approach to assessing human welfare and rating a country’s wellbeing.

Their conversation addresses the shortcomings of GDP (as a metric for national wellbeing), how to construct a more accurate and useful index, and the vital role of data-based policymaking.

Learn more about Ori Heffetz's work:
Interview: Spotlight on Ori Heffetz
Article: Measuring the Essence of the Good Life

Learn more about The Human Development Index.

The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Their conversation addresses the shortcomings of GDP (as a metric for national wellbeing), how to construct a more accurate and useful index, and the vital role of data-based policymaking.

Learn more about Ori Heffetz's work:
Interview: Spotlight on Ori Heffetz
Article: Measuring the Essence of the Good Life

Learn more about The Human Development Index.

Previous Episode

Can Sugary Beverage Taxes Improve Public Health?

This episode of The Princeton Pulse explores the effectiveness of levies on sugar-sweetened beverages, comparing experiences from South Africa and Philadelphia. Sometimes called soda or sugar taxes, they are used as a policy tool to address rising rates of obesity and other non-communicable diseases, and the related social and economic costs.

Studies show that drinking too much sugar contributes to obesity and increases risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. With that evidence in mind, more than 45 countries have implemented sugary beverage taxes on a national or subnational level. The taxes are designed to reduce demand for the beverages, promoting healthier choices and ultimately better health. At the same time, the levies can generate revenue to support other aspects of community health and wellbeing.
Do these taxes actually make people healthier? Can a regressive tax be progressive in its design and impact? Host Heather Howard, a Princeton University professor and former NJ Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, addresses these issues with Dr. Karen Hofman, a pediatrician and research professor at the University of Witwatersrand, who helped South Africa become the first Sub-Saharan African country to implement this kind of tax; and Dwayne Wharton, a health equity advocate behind Philadelphia’s beverage tax.
They explore lessons learned from public health interventions in multiple jurisdictions, including policy design questions, equity considerations, and the role of research in policy development.

Learn more about Dr. Hofman’s work:
Evidence That a Tax on Sugar Sweetened Beverages Reduces the Obesity Rate: A Meta-Analysis
Daily Maverick: Karen Hofman, the Professor Leading the Fight for Healthy Eating Choices

Read an article by Dwayne Wharton:
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Opinion | Tax on Sugary Beverages is a Good Thing
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Next Episode

Can We Tackle Vaccine Hesitancy and Climate Change With a Similar Playbook? Researchers Think So.

This episode takes on vaccine hesitancy and climate change. What do these seemingly diverse problems have in common? More than you might think. Although they are distinct challenges, both imperil global health, are perpetuated by social behaviors, and, according to a recent study, could be solved with a similar playbook.

Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, confronts these problems and potential solutions with Princeton Professor Simon Levin, who has conducted research on the topic, and Nicholas Silitch, former chief risk officer for Prudential Financial, who speaks to the role of corporations in addressing these issues. They discuss a path forward that highlights collective action based on the common good, and a plan driven by resources, effective policy, and strategies for influencing health attitudes.
Read Simon Levin's published research paper:
Vaccination-hesitancy and global warming: distinct social challenges with similar behavioral solutions

The Princeton Pulse Podcast - Measuring "The Good Life" - Alternative Metrics for National Wellbeing

Transcript

Episode #3:
Measuring “The Good Life”: Alternative Metrics for National Wellbeing

Heather Howard
Welcome. Today's episode is all about "the good life." We've heard the phrase countless times. But what does living the good life really mean? And how can we measure our success? Those questions are the subject of great debate among researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders who strive to understand the many dimensions of human welfare, and