Previous research and a qualitative study conducted upstream have shown that adolescents are much more sensitive to the social consequences of obesity (the gaze of their peers, teasing in college or high school, among others). The consequences associated with health risks seem distant from their concerns. Following these conclusions, the main study of the project, carried out with approximately 800 adolescents in 5 schools located in priority education zones of the Grenoble region, compared the effectiveness of obesity prevention campaigns that speak health risks of overweight and those that highlight the social risks of obesity (such as mockery or the gaze of others).
The results indicate that adolescents choose the rather healthy snack when they have been exposed to messages using the argument
social, whereas this is not the case when they have been exposed to the health argument. The health argument turns out to be ineffective in changing eating behaviors in the short term. Analysis of other variables (clarity and accessibility of the message, for example) indicates that the health argument is not strong enough to induce a change in behavior among young people. Regarding the intentions to eat healthy, the messages using the social argument and the message using the health argument with a prevention orientation (highlighting the risks of unhealthy eating) are effective, while the message using the promotion-oriented health argument (highlighting the benefits of good nutrition) is ineffective.
Source & Reference: Werle, Carolina OC, Boesen-Mariani Sabine, and Gavard-Perret Marie-Laure (2010), “Prevention of the risk of obesity in adolescents: Identification of factors for the effectiveness of messages”, Final Report, Foundation Wyeth for Child and Adolescent Health
