Commentary: It's a difference of opinion that makes a horserace…

The authors of ‘Health behavior theory and cumulative knowledge regarding health behaviors: are we moving in the right direction’ (Noar and Zimmerman, 2005) have taken a bold step by advocating for change in the field of change. The authors are correct when they note that our field should continually and critically reflect upon itself; however, it may be that our systems of funding, publication, peer review and specialization have made us too introspective, and discourage the types of innovation and risk-taking that could move our field to new esteem. Herein, we provide some additional points for consideration in an effort to continue the dialogue initiated by Noar and Zimmerman (Noar and Zimmerman, 2005) and prompt further discussion by the research community. We applaud their provocative approach and look to complement their arguments, rather than critique their manuscript. Distinguishing between health behavior theories, models, paradigms and frameworks is paramount to move this dialogue forward. In an attempt to clarify