Our choices are not always rational, many choices are unconscious and influenced or ‘nudged’ by the environment. For those interested in nudging, the book ‘Nudge’ by economists Thaler and Sunstein is a must-read. They describe how the way we choose is influenced by the choice architecture around us. Many of their ideas are also applicable to health and healthcare. 

• Richard Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein. Nudge, Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness. Pinguin publishers 2007.