Promoting and disseminating consistent and effective nutrition messages: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Nutrition messages are a central part of policy making as well as communication via product information, advertising, healthcare advice and lifestyle campaigns. However, with amplified information (and misinformation) from a growing number of sources, inconsistent and conflicting food landscapes, and limited engagement from the public, nutrition messaging tensions have become more accentuated than previously. In this review, we focus on the challenges facing those wishing to effect dietary change through communication; and identify opportunities and future research questions. Beginning with a new working definition and taxonomy for the term ‘nutrition message’, we consider the evolution of public health nutrition messages from the past century and discuss which types of messages may be more effective. We then turn to the challenges of implementation and highlight specific barriers to recipients' understanding and change. While the evidence has many gaps and there is a need for systematic evaluation of nutrition messages, research indicates that recipients are more likely to act on fewer messages that provide clear benefits and which resonate with their perceived health needs, and which are relatively straightforward to implement. Effectiveness may be improved through consideration of how nutrition messages can be designed to complement key non-health drivers of food choice (taste, cost) and societal/cultural norms. Consistency can be achieved by aligning the wider food and messaging environment to desired public health actions; that is by ensuring that retail settings provide and signpost healthier choices, and that mass media nutrition messages work with, not against, public health advice.

Investigating Students’ Food Packaging-Related Challenges and Preferences in Europe and Asia

“…Students also mentioned easiness into daily routine as a dominant driver of modulating sustainable behaviour. This finding supports previous research which highlighted that individuals are more likely to engage in educational messaging if there are clear benefits, it is easy to implement, and resonates [44]. Thus, our paper provides key design pointers for students; accordingly, next steps should involve implementing such cues as well as investigating the impact of educational materials on students' behaviour over both the short and long term in ecological valid settings (e.g., household and/or on-the-go).…”

Susceptibility to COVID-19 Nutrition Misinformation and Eating Behavior Change during Lockdowns: An International Web-Based Survey

“…held more misinformed views across all 25 statements ( Figure 2 ). Aside from these sources being commonly held responsible for spreading misinformation and for amplified misinformation vulnerability [ 1 , 15 , 136 , 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 , 141 ], personal factors such as lower levels of health literacy cannot be discounted [ 142 , 143 ]. Research has indicated that individuals with health literacy deficiencies are more prone to use non-scientific sources such as television, social media, blogs, or celebrity webpages [ 144 , 145 ] and more susceptible to health misinformation [ 136 ].…”

Diet-Nutrition Information Seeking, Source Trustworthiness, and Eating Behavior Changes: An International Web-Based Survey

“…The proliferation of diet-nutrition information sources in today's digital era has brought both opportunities and challenges. While access to information has increased, so has the prevalence of misinformation and misleading claims regarding diet and nutrition [1,2]. Understanding how individuals navigate this landscape of information and evaluate the trustworthiness of sources is crucial for combating the risks associated with misinformation and potentially ill-informed dietary decisions with harmful health consequences [1].…”

“…The consequences of misinformation in this domain extend beyond individual health outcomes, impacting public health, healthcare systems, and societal well-being [5,[12][13][14][15]. Recognizing the prevalence and problems associated with misinformation in diet and nutrition is crucial for fostering informed decision making, promoting evidence-based practices, and addressing the risks and implications of false information and wrongful advice on public health [2].…”