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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Don’t eat too much sugar because it increases your risk for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Stop drinking soda. Excessive fat intake leads to clogged arteries. Those who eat fewer fruits and vegetables die earlier. Inactivity leads to strokes. Don’t super-size portions or you’ll gain weight. Public health messages often focus on what we should not eat. People would listen more if we told them what they could eat.
According to research (http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/73/1/4) done at Cornell University, public health and dieting messages are more successful when they focus on what people should eat rather than on what they can’t eat. Fear does not convince us to eat better.
In health communications it is hard to frame a message for an entire population. Researchers and public health officials usually favor the “don’t do this” approach. San Francisco may soon be the first city in the US to place health warnings on advertisements for sugary drinks. In early June, lawmakers voted unanimously to require a warning label linking sugary drinks and chronic disease. The warning labels would appear only on advertisements, not on the products themselves, though a separate measure at the state level would require the warning directly on soda cans and bottles. The new label would read. “WARNING. Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.” The beverage industry has sued to prevent this ordinance.
In New York City, the health department recently proposed a new rule that would require chain restaurants to put a warning symbol next to menu items with more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium. This rule is intended to reduce the risk of heart disease and make it easier for customers to make healthier choices.
Many believe these decisions by elected and appointed officials are an intrusion on their personal choice. The research, thus far, suggests that these mandatory health warnings are very costly to implement, and by and large are not effective in creating a change in behavior. Negative health messages are not effective for many reasons.
Health professionals are well versed in science and the implications of altering one’s diet for a positive result. When they tell you to eat less salt, they understand that less sodium will help to lower the risk for high blood pressure. This in turn will lower the risk for a heart attack or stroke, which in turn improves the health of the general population. Tell a consumer to eat less salt and their first reaction might be the food will not taste good.
Negative messages make a statement with few positive options. The person hears the don’t message but they are given little information on what to do next. Health messages need to be crafted to fit the population. I have long known that my clients are more interested in what to eat for lunch than how their metabolism works. They want action-oriented, positive information. For those true vegetable haters who will never eat multiple servings a day, I often suggest swapping fruit instead. This is a positive option that they can apply immediately.
Public health advocates often forget that the public does not have to comply with a health message. For the general public the message is a choice, not a requirement. Lack of compliance often happens because most people lack the health education to understand the serious consequences that may occur because of noncompliance. Many of the warnings are for chronic health conditions that may take decades to appear. At age 25, most young man would never link their current salt or soda consumption to a heart attack they may have in their 50s.
Does this mean we shouldn’t try to nudge people to eat better? Of course, not. But any message we offer should be positive. We need to understand that change requires baby steps. If a teenage boy drinks 6 cans of soda a day and we can get him to drink 3 and add some water, that’s a positive change — less calories, less sugar and better hydration. Eating well is a constant negotiation between what people want and what is good for them. Love eating a cheeseburger and fries? Have you considered a kid’s meal? Eat what you love in a smaller portion. Still hungry, add an apple. You might have more luck getting the apple eaten if you don’t take away what a person desires. Healthy isn’t sustainable if the food isn’t pleasurable.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014
The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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