TV, Radio Ads for Walking Get Obese Seniors to Exercise

Paid advertisements on television and radio that encourage seniors to walk are effective at getting people to exercise, according to a study published in Prevention Medicine.

"If television is a demon in terms of captivating viewers and contributing to their sedentary lifestyles and obesity, it might also be beneficial in propelling them toward fitness salvation," said Bill Reger, Associate Professor at West Virginia University and author of the study. "If advertising didn't work, we wouldn't have the food industry, the clothing industry, and the auto industry spending obscene amounts of dollars to influence people's behaviors."

According to the study, the eight-week media-based campaign resulted in a 32 percent increase in walking in Wheeling, West Virginia, where the ads were shown, compared with an 18 percent increase measured in a similar comparison town that did not see the ads.

Walking was defined as 30-minutes a day, at least five days a week. Researchers speculate that a seasonal weather variation accounted for a portion of the walking increase in each town, but attributed the rest of the difference to the saturated and persuasive media campaign in Wheeling.

The study, called Wheeling Walks, included 637 30-second television spots, 1,988 one-minute radio ads, and 14 quarter-page newspaper ads. The ads showed a couple happily giving up a favorite TV show and opting to take a walk instead. The ads encouraged people to walk 30 minutes each day.

Wheeling was chosen for the study because of the disproportionate number of adults who are obese (35 percent compared to the national average of 27 percent) and a reported lack of physical activity.

"Being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to improve vitality and combat preventable illness and death," said Dr. J. Michael McGinnis, Senior Vice President and Director of the Health Group for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, backers of the study. "We are committed to creating and supporting programs that encourage people to be more physically active and that help communities plan and build in ways that allow people to get out and get moving safely and easily where they live and work, so they can stay active for life."

The study was the first to show beneficial effects of advertising on increasing physical activity.

"When it comes to health education and influencing behaviors, we have thrown up our hands to say we can't change populations. But we haven't tried, or we haven't tried the most effective means," said Reger.

Other sources: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation