Government healthy living initiative to target men

Marketing news commentators have been discussing the government’s drive to target middle aged men in its Change4Life initiative.

The Change4Life scheme has reported success in the first year of its healthy living promotions, so has been spurred onto targeting adults aged 45 to 60, specifically focusing on the male population.

Since the first Change4Life campaign, the number of people eating more healthily and exercising more has risen over 5 per cent according to a Department of Health report.

This new drive will promote healthier lifestyle choices such as reducing portion sizes, eating more fruit and vegetables, cutting down on cholesterol and giving advice on alcohol allowances.

Marketing week reports that the latest advertising campaign was created by M&C Saatchi, in a bid to combat rising levels of obesity in the UK. The Department of Health’s figures showed that the highest levels of obesity were in middle aged men with 69% of adults aged 45 to 60 discovered to be overweight.

Previous change for life campaigns include promotions aimed at families and pregnant women, with this new advertising campaign following the same plasticine style figures.

Director general of communications at the Department of Health, Sian Jarvis, comments that due to the success seen by the first set of Change4Life campaigns, this latest scheme has been launched earlier than anticipated.

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