The Scottish Government

Healthyliving

A Healthy Eating campaign was launched by First Minister Jack McConnell on Tuesday, January 7 as part of a long-term commitment to change Scotland's diet and produce a healthier population.

An initial investment of £1.42 million has financed a widespread advertising campaign designed to persuade Scots to choose healthier lifestyle options.

A special helpline and dedicated website offer information and advice on how the nation's health can be changed for the better.

Why is the campaign needed?

After smoking, poor diet is the most significant contributor to poor health. It is linked to high levels of cancer and heart disease. Improving Scotland's diet is central to improving Scotland's health.

Scottish diets are high in fat and there is a marked deficiency of fruit and vegetables. Consumption of meals containing vegetables is 23 per cent lower than the rest of the UK. The 1995 Scottish Health Survey showed that less than half of the adult population ate fruit once a day.

However, it is not all bad news. Implementation of the Scottish Diet Action Plan (1996) is progressing and data from the National Food Survey shows a 23 per cent increase in fruit consumption since 1988. The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey also recorded increases in fruit consumption among 11 year olds between 1990 and 1998 (14.2 per cent for boys, 11.1 per cent for girls). Consumption of vegetables and salads also increased (13 per cent for boys, 16.1 pwer cent for girls) as did pasta, rice and low fat milk. General improvements in health have also resulted in substantial fall in deaths from heart disease among people under 65 which reduced by 40 per cent between 1990 and 2000.

What does the campaign aim to do?

The national healthy eating campaign ('healthyliving') is part of the Executive's Health Improvement strategy. It is the front end of a renewed and focused effort to implement the Scottish Diet Action Plan (1996) in partnership with the main influencers of dietary behaviour (primary producers, manufacturers, supermarkets, caterers, and the media) with a view to achieving the dietary targets for Scotland by 2005.

The campaign is underpinned by advertising with the objective of increasing consumer demand for healthier food. There is a call centre and website providing practical advice to members of the public seeking to change their diet.

So it's just another advertising campaign?

No. It is only one part of a broad campaign which amounts to the most comprehensive assault yet made on the deficiencies of the Scottish diet. It includes action right across the food chain from the production of food through its processing, distribution and sale right through to the way it is prepared in the home, in schools, hospitals and in staff and other restaurants.

The campaign will work with

• All sectors of Scottish agriculture and fisheries to promote and develop the sustained availability of core Scottish produce as part of a healthy diet
• Food manufacturers, processors and the retail industry to develop healthier food choices. Leading supermarkets Safeway, Scottish Co-op Somerfield and Sainsburys have already agreed to promote the aims of the campaign in their
• stores
• Local agencies and communities to increase access to healthier food choices. There are already more than 400 community food initiatives in Scotland
• Public and private sector catering services and companies to increase the availability of healthy food choices. This will include the development of national standards for school meals, for hospital food and for local authority caterers.
• Consumers to increase demand for healthier eating and to provide reliable accessible information about food, nutrition and diet

It amounts to a national movement to create change right across the country by promoting healthy eating to the public and supporting and encouraging the food industry to play its part. The Healthy Eating campaign is in itself one part of a bigger Healthy Living campaign that will seek to create positive change in eating habits, activity levels and in the general attitude of people in Scotland to their health.

Is there any evidence this works?

Research shows that advertising does change behaviour and creates consumer demand. Chief function is to raise awareness and interest levels. Telephone response channels are proven to be powerful tools to engage and inform the public. Initial concept testing research for the adverts looking at people's views on a healthy eating advice line was positive, especially with women from low income groups.

Success has been achieved by similar initiatives in other countries, particularly in Finland, Sweden and in Western Australia. The Australian campaign had high level political backing, used a lot of mass media advertising and worked with supermarkets and local food producers to increase the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.

So it is copying what has happened elsewhere?

We have learned from successful initiatives in other countries but this is based on what Scotland needs. A key feature of our programme is the establishment of the advice line. Research by HEBS and the FSA (Food Standards Agency) has shown that 80% of Scots have attempted to change their diet in the past year. However, it also found that although Scots are aware of the basic healthy eating messages, many have a poor understanding of how to apply them. The helpline is being set up to meet this clear need for advice and infonnation. This is a unique feature of our campaign based on a research analysis of the situation in Scotland.

How will the helpline work?

Trained staff will answer calls from the public on a wide variety of food-related topics. They will be able to give advice on what constitutes a healthier diet, how to improve food preparation and cooking skills, understanding labels and in making choices. The helpline will be supervised by trained healthy eating advisors and experienced dietitians who will be able to provide expert help if that is needed. Any calls which indicate an immediate health problem will be referred on to the health service. Callers will be offered or can request to be sent a pack of information on healthy eating.

Will there be other ways to get information?

An interactive website has also been developed to spread the message about healthy eating. It has a number of interesting features including

• an interactive quiz to help people assess how healthy their diet is
• top tips on healthy eating
• recipe and meal ideas
• a calculator to help people check if their weight is within the levels recommended for health

People who log onto the site will also be able to e-mail an expert with queries about healthy eating. Dietitians will aim to get a personalised response back to the person within 24 hours. The healthy eating pack can also be ordered online.

What happens next?

The Healthy Eating campaign is being supported by the leading supermarkets Safeway, the Scottish Co-op, Somerfield and Sainsburys. Industry organisations such as the Sea Fish Industry authority and cereal producers will mount their own healthy eating campaigns, linked into the national campaign.

The campaign will support the ongoing work of local campaigns and the work of agencies such as the Scottish Healthy Choices Award, Scotland's Health at Work and the Scottish Community Diet Project. There will be new initiatives such as the introduction of nutritional standards for school meals.

The campaign marks the start of a concerted and sustained long-term programme that will continue for a number of years to establish lasting improvements in the Scottish diet. It will be monitored and evaluated to allow changes to be made in response to emerging needs.

How will the campaign be evaluated?

A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme has been put in place. This includes tracking awareness of the TV ads and the messages people are taking from them, monitoring the number and type of calls coming into the healthyliving line, as well as the type of callers making them (gender, age range, geographical location), and monitoring the level of traffic to the healthy living website. Data from ongoing surveys such as the Scottish Health Survey will continue to monitor the eating habits of Scots, revealing longer term changes in diet.

How much are the advertising costs for this campaign?

The advertising costs for the campaign from January 7 to the end of March, when the Scottish Parliament and local government election period begins and all Scottish Executive campaign advertising must cease, is £ 1.42 million. This includes all research, production, and media buying costs. We cannot estimate costs beyond March because of decisions that the incoming administration may take.