Transcript Mass Communication Can`t Deliver

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
Environment
Dashboard Dining
I’ll grab a pizza for
the kids on the
way home!
Long Distance Commuters
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)
ABC1
Social Class
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):
Health education UK (2004):
£743 million
£7 million
IOI spend on food advertising (2007): €91 million
Soft drink advertising (2007):
€39 million
Some solutions
Multi media
On the ground support
Cumulative effect
Timing
PR
Multidisciplinary
Soul searching/evaluation
We Have a Roadmap…
ROI
National
Taskforce
on Obesity
2005
NI
CrossDepartment
Action
Plan
Free Publicity!
On the doorstep
•Fiscal measures
•Regulations*
•Enforcement*
•Incentives
•Technology
•Society Norms
•Family Norms
•Peer Pressure
Necessary
But Not Sufficient
Enabling
Society
Change
Behaviour
“Attitude-Intention- Behaviour” Gap
Change Attitudes
Raise level of knowledge
Increase Awareness
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