| News & Know How | News Georgia’s Obesity Ads—
Effective or Insensitive? 2012 Campaign generates spirited debate pro and con
eorgia has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation. Believing that not enough was being done to correct that situation, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta recently launched an ad campaign that has attracted attention— both positive and negative—because of its directness.
G
Called Strong4Life, the campaign shows kids and their parents talking about the dire consequences of being obese.
A headline in one online ad states: “Warning: Childhood obesity has increased over 300% in the last 30 years.” A girl named Tina says she doesn’t like going to school because other kids pick on her. “It hurts my feelings,” she says. Then, another message appears: “Stop sugarcoating it, Georgia.” In another ad, a girl named Maritza says, “My doctor says I have something called hypertension.”
The mother of a child named Tamika comments, “I just always thought she was thick, like her mama.”
Apparently, while some people regard the ads as constructive, others feel that they’re too direct and will cause emotional damage.
One parent commented, “Thank you for standing up and bringing a national concern to light … As the parent of two young kids (four and one), I understand the importance of my kids being active.” Another, however, responding on Facebook, wrote, “Horrible. You will hurt more than you will help. Self-esteem is built with smiles and no pointing.”
What’s the thinking behind the ads? “We needed something that was more arresting and in-your-face than some of the flowery campaigns out there,” Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president of Children’s Healthcare told NBC News. As for the experts, they have mixed reactions to the approach. “If we want to get attention to say obesity is a problem, then maybe they’ll be effective,” says Marsha Davis, a researcher in childhood obesity prevention at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health. “In terms of the social stigma about weight— it might actually make people feel worse about that.”
While no one yet knows how effective the ads will prove to be, a second series is already in the works. —|
> Short Takes | Exercise Drive-In: Cars Collide with Two Gyms
Members at the Cardinal Fitness center in Naperville, Illinois, and at Sport & Health in Gainesville, Virginia, have quite a story to tell. Recently, cars crashed through the plate-glass windows at both facilities. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. The Cardinal Fitness incident occurred at 2:10 p.m. on December 14, when an 80-year-old
Naperville woman allegedly hit the gas of her BMW sedan instead of the brake. The car plowed through the club’s front window, hitting treadmills and other equipment before coming to rest. Few members or employees were in the building at the time, and no one was injured. On January 2, a Jeep crashed through the lower level of the Sport & Health building. A
passenger in the car and a staff member, who was sitting at her desk, were both hurt, but their injuries weren’t considered life-threatening. —|
22 Club Business Internat ional | APRIL 2012 |
ihrsa.org
Waldyr Soares
Fitness Industry
Booming in Brazil Waldyr Soares says health and wellness concerns drive growth
> When it comes to beaches, bikinis, and the bodies that go with them, there’s no place like Brazil. Long known as the country of the “body beautiful,” Brazil has also become more health- conscious in recent years, and now has a booming fitness industry to prove it.
With 18,000 clubs, the country ranks
second only to the U.S., according to IHRSA figures—a doubling from just four years ago. Today, the industry generates an estimated $2.2 billion in annual sales. “The sector has been growing by
about 30% per year, if we include gyms, individual professionals, and the various industries,” says Waldyr Soares, the president of Fitness Brazil, an IHRSA partner. “While Brazilians do care about their appearance, most of what we’re seeing is the result of their concern for health and well-being.” High-end Brazilian chains have been
growing and increasing their offerings, while, at the same time, the middle- market sector, with chains such as Smart Fit, has been expanding. Bio Ritmo, one of the upscale chains
in São Paulo, has 22 locations. Its monthly dues are about 350 Brazilian reais, or about $200. Dues are high because imported fitness equipment is heavily taxed, and trainers are high- priced as they must be certified, explains Edgard Corona, the CEO of Bio Ritmo. Bodytech, another high-end player, ia also continuing to expand in Brazil. —|
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