ReThink Your Drink Collaborative & Partner
Spokesperson Training
Michael MillerPaula Hamilton
Brown∙Miller Communications
Overview
• Reviewing History
• Consulting Facts
• Mastering Elements of Communication
• Interviewing Tips
• Tackling Tough Questions
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBehavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1985
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1990
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1995
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2000
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2005
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%
CA Adult Obesity Rates
Source: Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html
1985 20100
5
10
15
20
25
30
Ob
esity Prevalen
ce
Childhood Obesity • Overweight among American children ages
6-19 increased nearly 4-fold from 1963-2000
CA childhood obesity rates: Source: NHANES - 1963-65 through 1999-02
Why Drinks?• We are not biologically-equipped to
fully recognize liquid calories
Liquid calories: DiMeglio DP, Mattes RD. Liquid versus solid carbohydrate: effects on food intake and body weight. International Journal of Obesity. 2000; 24: 794-800
Adolescents
Yearly ConsumptionOf Sugary Drinks
50 gallons per year
39 pounds of sugarYearly consumption of sugary drinks: Kiyah and Popkin. Obesity. 2007;15:2739 –2747 and Beverage Digest, 54(13):5. June 12, 2009
Serving Size Expansion
6.5 oz 12 oz 20 oz 33 oz (1L) Today
Babey SH, Jones M, Yu H, Goldstein H. Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2009.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Total Sweetened Beverages
kcal
/per
son
/day 278
cal/day
120 cal/day
Equivalent of 43% of new
calories
INCREASE IN PER CAPITA CALORIE INTAKE (1977-2001)
Single Largest Contributor to Adult
Obesity Epidemic
Children
41% of kids age 2-11
62% of kids age 12 -17DRINK A SODA OR
MORE A DAY
Babey SH, Jones M, Yu H, Goldstein H. Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2009.
Added Sugar Stacks Up
It’s more than waistlines….
Scientific Evidence
• Cross sectional studies, longitudinal studies, intervention trials
• Each additional soda children consume daily increases obesity risk by 60%
• Adults who drink soda daily are 27% more likely to be overweight
Babey SH, Jones M, Yu H, Goldstein H. Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2009.
Ludwig, D. S., Peterson, K. E., Gortmaker, SL. (2001) Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet. 357: 505–508
“It is unreasonable to expect that people will
change their behavior easily when so many
forces in the social, cultural, and physical
environment conspire against such change.”
Public Health Movements
• Sanitation• Worker Safety• Clean Air/Clean Water• Auto Safety• Drunk Driving• Lead Poisoning• Violence Prevention• Tobacco Control
Universal Lessons
• The solution is NOT just a matter of personal responsibility
–Education is critical
–Environments must change
–Federal, state and local policies are crucial
Increasing Availability
Everywhere
Marketing to Youth
• $500 million spent annually marketing sugary drinks to children and adolescents
• More than $1 million a day
• Television, digital, product placement and more
Source: Federal Trade Commission 2008
SSB TV Buys
Source: TNS Media Intelligence
Youth-Targeted Placement
People are bombarded with messages
You need to get their attention
You need to control the conversation
Communicatingin a confusing
world
Key Elements of Communications
• Know Your Audience
• Know Your Issue
• Know What You Want to Achieve
• Message Appropriately
KnowYourAudience
People
Partners
Policymakers
Press
Know Your Audience
• What matters to them?
• What’s the benefit or risk?
• Who influences their thoughts and behaviors?
Electronic News Radio Television
Print Newspaper Magazine Talk Radio
Social Media Understandin
g the Media
What is News?
• Timely• Local• Significant• Trends• Ironic• Controversial• Celebrity
Your Message…
WHAT: What do they need to know?
WHY: Why should they care?
ACTION: What action do you want them to take?
Simple, Direct, Clear
Your Message…
WHAT – The [name of] Collaborative encourages you to ReThink Your Drink and choose healthier beverages.
WHY – Every drink is an opportunity to maximize your [performance, nutrition, health, be a role model for your children].
ACTION – Limit consumption of sugary drinks and choose [water] instead.
Tell a Story
Provide a compelling, true-
life example of the importance of
healthy beverage choices and
communities that support them.
Governor Schwarzenegger interview on Meet the Press
Stay on Message
When You Don’t…
Interview Tips• Prepare yourself
• Maintain control of the interview
• Repeat important points
• Be direct and honest
• Honor deadlines
• Engage in a conversation
• Ask questions
• Make sure the interviewer understands you
• Build a relationship
Interview Don’ts
• Say anything you don’t want repeated
• Use jargon
• Answer questions with a simple “no” or “yes”
• Become confrontational
• Speak on behalf of others
• Assume
• Be afraid to say “I don’t know”
Bridging
• Click to add content
Flagging
Tackling the Tough Questions
There are many causes of obesity.
Why focus on drinks alone?
Focus on Drinks
• The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans specifically recommends:
“Reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages…Sugar-sweetened beverages provide excess calories and few essential nutrients to the diet (Chapter 2, page 16)
• Our campaign provides nutrition education, such as label reading and health information, that helps people make healthy choices for all parts of their diets
Shouldn’t parents decide what their children eat and
drink?
Parental Support• Parents are the gatekeepers for their
children’s health
• We support them by teaching them the skills they need to make healthy choices and by ….
Helping parents learn how they can build environments that support those choices and reinforcing this guidance to children when outside the home.
If sugar is the problem, isn’t juice
just like soda?
Juice• We educate parents and children on
sources of added sugar in their beverages
• 100% Juice provides added dietary benefits and is recommended in small amounts
• We encourage consumption of whole fruits and vegetables
• Consumption trends for soda are greater than those for juice
It’s the couch not the can!
Exercise…
• Exercise plays a vital role in overall health and weight maintenance
• Key to good health is a balance between calories expended through exercise and calories consumed in food and drink
Are diet sodas a better alternative?
Diet Sodas…
• Evidence is mixed
• The best alternative is a glass of water
• Clean, cool and refreshing tap water is:
Sugar-free
Calorie-free
Cost-free
What about flavored milk?
Flavored Milk
• We are dedicated to reducing added sugar in all beverages children drink
• For less added sugar, offer kids unflavored milk
• We teach parents that 8 ounces of flavored milk typically contains 4 teaspoons of added sugar
My kid plays soccer so we give him sports
drinks. What’s wrong with that?
Sports Drinks• We are dedicated to reducing added sugar
in the beverages children drink; for less added sugar, offer kids water after exercise
• A 16 ounce serving of a typical sports drink has 7 teaspoons of sugar
• Dr. Robert C and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight & Health, Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Drinks UC Berkeley 2007 Prepared by Kristine Madsen MD, MPH, FAAP:– Sports drinks are indicated for extended periods
of exercise and for exercise during extreme weather conditions such as high heat and humidity.
– Even when children exercise vigorously for an hour, experts agree that water works for rehydration
This sounds like “nanny government.” Why are you
trying to limit people’s choices?
Nanny State
• Our campaign is working to provide people with more choices
• Californians want healthy and affordable drink options where they work, shop, live and play.
• Our campaign is dedicated to providing the information people need to make wiser, healthier choices
What’s wrong with an occasional treat of
soda?
Treats• Sugary drinks are not being consumed as
an occasional treat
• The typical California adolescent drinks more than a soda a day
• A 20 ounce soda contains more than 16 teaspoons of sugar
• That’s why the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for American’s recommends individuals limit their intake.
Questions…
?