Go for the bacon
Prevention: The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), the Federal Office of Sport (BASPO), Health Promotion Switzerland, and APG are jointly advocating for more physical activity and a balanced diet.
Prevention The FOPH, FOSPO, Health Promotion Switzerland and APG are working together to promote more exercise and a balanced diet. Since the third day of the New Year, Switzerland has resembled a giant fitness trail: start and finish banners at several thousand poster sites throughout Switzerland are inviting people to sprint. The national campaign was launched by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the Federal Office of Sport (FOSPO), Health Promotion Switzerland and the Allgemeine Plakatgesellschaft (APG). With the slogan "Move more, live better", the campaign partners are calling on the Swiss population to start the new year with more exercise and a balanced diet in order to improve their quality of life and well-being. The timing is anything but random. After all, most people have put on a few extra pounds in the last two weeks of December and are therefore particularly receptive to good intentions.
However, studies show that excess and lack of exercise are by no means limited to the festive season: around 64% of Swiss people are insufficiently active and a good 19% are even completely inactive. This was revealed in 2002 by the Swiss Health Survey, which is conducted every five years by the Federal Statistical Office. The same study also revealed that around 37 percent of the adult population is overweight or obese - and the trend is rising. Last year, a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) found that one in four children in this country has too much on their ribs.
Almost three billion in follow-up costs
In addition to the loss of quality of life for those affected, overweight and obesity also cause massive health costs, according to the FOPH. According to the Federal Office, overweight and obesity and their associated diseases cost almost three billion Swiss francs a year. In this year's International Year of Sport, the current start/finish campaign aims to help make a healthy body weight the norm again. To this end, the senders are focusing not only on nutrition but also on exercise in everyday life.
The nationwide poster campaign was initiated by APG and its agency Publicis. "Once or twice a year, we would like to create a charitable
or non-commercial campaign," says APG PR Manager Othmar Casutt and adds: "naturally also to show that a poster campaign can be used to quickly get a message across the whole of Switzerland.
To demonstrate this, the APG is making 6500 posts available nationwide. The federal offices are financing the printing of the posters in various formats. In addition to health promotion and poster impact, the advertising measures are also intended to mediate in the discussion on advertising bans between the APG and the FOPH. Casutt explains: "We want to show that prevention is much more effective than advertising bans." The most recent example of a similarly motivated campaign is the anti-speeding campaign in collaboration with the TCS, which was launched last fall.
Switzerland as a fitness trail: posters encourage people to aim for a healthy body weight.
However, studies show that excess and lack of exercise are by no means limited to the festive season: around 64% of Swiss people are insufficiently active and a good 19% are even completely inactive. This was revealed in 2002 by the Swiss Health Survey, which is conducted every five years by the Federal Statistical Office. The same study also revealed that around 37 percent of the adult population is overweight or obese - and the trend is rising. Last year, a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) found that one in four children in this country has too much on their ribs.
Almost three billion in follow-up costs
In addition to the loss of quality of life for those affected, overweight and obesity also cause massive health costs, according to the FOPH. According to the Federal Office, overweight and obesity and their associated diseases cost almost three billion Swiss francs a year. In this year's International Year of Sport, the current start/finish campaign aims to help make a healthy body weight the norm again. To this end, the senders are focusing not only on nutrition but also on exercise in everyday life.
The nationwide poster campaign was initiated by APG and its agency Publicis. "Once or twice a year, we would like to create a charitable
or non-commercial campaign," says APG PR Manager Othmar Casutt and adds: "naturally also to show that a poster campaign can be used to quickly get a message across the whole of Switzerland.
To demonstrate this, the APG is making 6500 posts available nationwide. The federal offices are financing the printing of the posters in various formats. In addition to health promotion and poster impact, the advertising measures are also intended to mediate in the discussion on advertising bans between the APG and the FOPH. Casutt explains: "We want to show that prevention is much more effective than advertising bans." The most recent example of a similarly motivated campaign is the anti-speeding campaign in collaboration with the TCS, which was launched last fall.
Switzerland as a fitness trail: posters encourage people to aim for a healthy body weight.
Simone Keller
