Change4Life is a society-wide movement that aims to prevent people from becoming overweight by encouraging them to eat better and move more. It is the marketing component of the Government’s response to the rise in obesity. The campaign aims to inspire a societal movement in which everyone who has an interest in preventing obesity, be they Government, business, healthcare professionals, charities, schools, families or individuals, can play their part.
The Change4Life advertising campaign began in January 2009 and in the initial stage targeted young families with childen aged 5-11 years. Since its launch the movement has grown to targeting parents of 1-4 years olds (Early Years) and new parents with babies (Start4Life).
A new report on the progress made by the Change4Life campaign during its first year has been published online. ‘Change4Life: One Year On’ reviews the creation of a movement, the stages of the campaign, how we have performed against targets, critical success factors and the importance of all our local and national partnerships.
This month sees the launch of our Change4Life activity aimed at Pakistani, Bangladeshi and West African communities. This activity includes TV commercials and advertorials in key ethnic titles. The campaign promotes the Change4Life BME helpline (0300 123 1099) which families can call to request an information pack. The pack will include an English/Urdu or English/Bengali information booklet with tips and healthy traditional recipes aimed at Pakistani and Bangladeshi families. There will also be a booklet for West African families in English.
We are developing a BME Toolkit for healthcare professionals and local supporters and this will be ready in mid April. As well as including tips and advice it will also include pre-recorded physical activity and cooking demonstrations which can be downloaded and use when working with families. The toolkit will also include posters and flyers in three languages. We have made these available to download here.
The Change4Life adults advertising campaign is in full swing on TV, online, on posters and bus rears. The campaign is aimed at 45-65 year old men and women, as we know that the majority of them (about 71%) can be classed as either overweight or obese. Six behaviours have been developed that all sit under the banner of 'swaps' and house different exercise and nutritional goals. We are creating a range of resources to support the campaign including a leaflet called ‘Stop It, Don’t Stop It’ (available now to download or order) an FAQ sheet, language and brand guidelines and an employer’s toolkit.
If your work involves helping adults to lead a healthy lifestyle you may find this campaign and its resources very helpful. It is worth noting that although the campaign and resources are actively targeted at 45-65 year old adults, the six behaviours can be adopted by all adults over 18 years.
The ‘Dance with Diversity’ competition is now closed. Winners will be announced online and in the press soon. You can view competition entries on YouTube.
If you would like to register as a Local Supporter or access Change4Life reference materials and toolkits please visit the Partners and Supporters area on the Change4Life website. Registered supporters are sent a welcome email with a link to the assets page and will be sent regular email newsletters, which will alert them to the latest news about Change4Life. Register at the link below.
Please see our frequently asked questions about the Change4Life movement or call 0300 123 3434 between 9am – 6.30pm Monday-Friday. (Calls to 03 numbers should cost no more than geographic 01 or 02 UK wide calls, and may be part of inclusive minutes subject to your provider and your call package).
Keep watching these pages for the release of other useful resources.
