March 3, 2010 – Messages promoting physical activity create anxiety and guilt in some people. Indeed, 1 in 5 people (22%) feel anxiety and guilt in front of these messages, according to a survey conducted as part of a study led by sociologist Suzanne Laberge, of the University of Montreal.1.
The study did not target a particular message, but rather all the messages disseminated by governments as well as by various organizations or companies.
According to the results, guilt and anxiety similarly affect those who are at a healthy weight (22%), those who are overweight (24%) and those who are obese (22%).
While the feeling of guilt was short-lived for half (54%) of respondents, in more than a quarter (28%) it was a constant concern.
And overall, the study shows that more women than men feel guilty about messages promoting physical activity.
“Of course we have to encourage people to move more, but obviously this choice must be made easier for these people who move in more difficult life contexts,” emphasizes the researcher.
Messages disconnected from reality
Before conducting the survey, Suzanne Laberge’s team also organized discussion groups around messages promoting physical activity.
These sessions revealed that for many – especially among the less educated – these messages do not address the daily issues that prevent people from becoming active, such as inflexible work schedules or hard-to-reach facilities. .
“This information is important for those who develop messages to promote physical activity,” says the sociologist. They will need to take into account the physical, social and organizational environment of the people targeted if they are to achieve their goal of making people move more without making them guilty, discouraging or making them anxious. “
Another important piece of information for advertising creators: 50% of respondents said they rarely or never pay attention to messages encouraging them to move more!
Among these “insensitive”, 1 in 3 people (32%) say they are already moving enough. On the other hand, nearly 1 in 5 people (18%) say they are indifferent or not concerned by these messages.
“This indicates that we will have to find another way to get them moving because they are not active,” concluded Suzanne Laberge.
Carole Boulé – PasseportSanté.net
1. Laberge S, Mongeau L, et al. Exploratory study of the potential unanticipated effects of messages promoting healthy eating and physical activity, presented to Groupe Média Santé, February 2010.
2. Result of a survey of 1,000 respondents representative of Quebec which took place from October 14 to 26, 2009, carried out by the survey firm SOM. The margin of error is 3.9%, 19 times out of 20.
