Rudd Radar
Messages in Anti-Obesity Campaigns
September 11, 2012
Public health campaigns have emerged across the country to promote behaviors that can help reduce obesity. But do the messages communicated by these campaigns help reduce obesity or potentially make the problem worse?
The public responds more favorably to obesity-related health campaigns that emphasize specific health behaviors and personal empowerment for health, rather than messages that imply personal blame and stigmatize those who are obese, according to a study just published in the International Journal of Obesity by the Rudd Center.
