Mass Communication and Mass Diseases

Communicating healthy eating messages at a population level

Cliodhna Foley-Nolan,MB,MPH,FFPHMI

“It makes little sense to expect individuals to behave differently from their peers; it is more appropriate to seek a general change in behavioural norms and in the circumstances which facilitate them”

Geoffrey Rose

Some mass media realities

Media fire blips of unrelated information at us

Experts bury us in detail

One study wonders grab headlines

Scares win over sustainable moderation

Less involvement with food

Fewer family meals

Higher intake of processed food (HFSS)

Cooking and budgeting skills declining

Stressed parents

Fear of eating disorders/play outdoors

Dashboard Dining Long Distance Commuters

Environment I’ll grab a pizza for the kids on the

way home!

Confusion about complexities

Food supplements (folic acid)

Fish (dioxins + mercury + sustainability)

Trans fats + saturated fats

Competition for attention:

Press releases: 300/day (Irish Mirror)

Photos: 5,000/day (Irish Times)

Know your Audience(s)

Social ClassABC1 C2DE

Irish Times 280,000 45,000

Daily Star 103,000 277,000

Coronation Street +

News shows +

Financial might of advertising

Coca Cola Global Marketing: €1.3billion

Food industry UK (2003): £743 millionHealth education UK (2004): £7

million

IOI spend on food advertising (2007): €91 millionSoft drink advertising (2007): €39 million

Some solutions

Multi mediaOn the ground supportCumulative effectTimingPRMultidisciplinarySoul searching/evaluation

We Have a Roadmap…We Have a Roadmap…ROI

National Taskforce on Obesity

2005

NICross-

DepartmentActionPlan

Free Publicity!

On the doorstep

Increase Awareness

Raise level of knowledgeRaise level of knowledge

Change AttitudesChange Attitudes

Change Change BehaviourBehaviour

Evaluation

“Attitude-Intention- Behaviour” Gap

Evaluation

NecessaryBut Not Sufficient

•Fiscal measures•Regulations*•Enforcement*•Incentives•Technology•Society Norms•Family Norms•Peer Pressure

Enabling Society

Evaluation

Combine a) scientific evaluation e.g. SLAN, NDNS with

b) market research e.g. safetrak, FSA Consumer Attitude surveys

Consider reported behaviours, process evaluation alongside long term health changes

Social Movements

Challenges remain

Stark or gentle

Blaming or supportive

Genuine respect and multidisciplinary

work (science and communication experts)

Balancing provision of information and

community development

Being overweight isn’t “ healthy/normal”

Mass Communication Can’t Deliver

Individual support

Detail

Skills training

Legislative change

Complex technicalities

Mass Communication Can Deliver

Awareness

Wide reach

Cost efficiencies

Simple messages

Social change