Consumer response to lifestyle messages

The EU Platform for action on diet, physical activity and health, established on 15 March 2005, is examining, among other issues, the topic of consumer education and information for the promotion of healthy lifestyles, including balanced diets. In this context, CIAA proposed to the Platform, as a common multistakeholder commitment, the development of a healthy lifestyle public information campaign in Europe to raise awareness with individuals of the steps that can be taken to improve their diet and to increase physical activity levels. CIAA, as part of its commitments to the Platform, offered to finance an independent research project to improve the understanding of what kind of educational, motivational and actionable messages will best promote balanced diets and healthy lifestyles. Quantitative and qualitative fieldwork has been conducted in several countries in January and February 2007 to identify how mothers and children see a healthy lifestyle and how they think it should be achieved.

The research was conducted in two stages. First a extensive desk research was carried out to identify campaigns aimed at stimulating healthy eating and physical activity. A more extensive analysis was made of campaigns in four target countries: Sweden, Poland, Greece and Spain.

As a second stage more in depth qualitative research was conducted in the four key countries to (1) explore and understand key motivation motivations/barriers to children undertaking eating and active behaviour, and (2) to identify key educational, motivational and actionable messages which are likely to encourage behavioural change towards healthy and active lifestyles.

During the presentation, the results from this CIAA-led research activity (conducted by Family Research Dynamics) will be discussed and be put in the context of recent scientific insights into stimulating health behaviour.