Message of the Week, December 2, 2010: American Values and Prevention
Best Messages for Community Prevention... And Beyond
Talk about kids, and aspirations for the future. "Kids are our future, and to have a healthy future, we must help our children grow up healthy. [Insert your example or story here. One example: We need to focus on improving nutrition at schools including getting rid of the junk food, make sure healthy fresh food is available at home, and that there are clean and safe parks in every neighborhood where kids can play. It's the least we can do for our kids to grow up healthy.]"
Link community prevention to personal prevention, which is well understood by the public. "It's important to get preventive care, like checkups, vaccinations, and mammograms—but we need to do more. We need to change the way we eat, move, and interact so that health and prevention become priorities every day and not just when we get sick. [Insert your example or story here. One example: This will help us combat diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, especially for children. These chronic diseases contribute to seven in ten deaths in the U.S. right now, and 75 percent of our current national health care costs. We owe it to ourselves to change this.]"
Acknowledge the role of individual choices – especially with reluctant audiences. "It's time we step up to the plate and take control over our own lives, by making healthier choices. But we need government and businesses to work with us, not get in the way. [Insert your example or story here. One example: We should buy fruits and vegetables, cook instead of going through the drive-through, and play outdoors with our kids instead of watching television. We'll have more energy and fewer health problems. It is up to us to act, but we need government and businesses to give us information about nutrition, healthier choices on the menu at school and work, and safe places to exercise, so we are able to make good choices.]"
Emphasize local action by talking about what we can do together as a community, and emphasizing real local examples. "Community prevention can make a real difference—like it has in Oklahoma City [or insert your example here. Oklahoma City example: People there were among the most obese in the nation, and it was impacting their local economy since employers don't want an unhealthy workforce that misses too many days of work and costs too much. They invested in prevention by making the city more pedestrian friendly, getting local businesses involved, and encouraging residents to exercise more. Oklahoma City lost half a million pounds and attracted new employers. So now they are not only healthier, but their economy is stronger too.]"
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