Hey again everyone,
Hopefully you didn't have too much trouble accessing this page. Please feel free to email me (Stephanie) at my gmail account (schild07@gmail.com) if you have any questions about the blog. Any questions about the class should be directed to either Dr. Mulvihill or the class, via this blog.
For this week's blog, please watch the Childhood Obesity YouTube.com video Dr. Mulvihill tried to have us watch in class. You can find it by searching "childhood obesity". It should be the first one, with a black screen and the words "we can" across it. It was posted by someone named "gmeldrum".
While watching this video, think about what we discussed in class today, about knowing characteristics about your target audience.
When the video says "we", who are they talking about? Physicians, experts, parents, children, community members? How did this person try to make their video attractive or appealing? Does this video appeal to your self-efficacy about how we can change this epidemic?
**Please post your reaction to this video, using some of the components we discussed in class today to explain why you did or didn't think this video was a good example of health communication.
Have a great week!
Stephanie
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32 comments:
As soon as the music started I was immediately struck by the irony in the song selection, and was glad to find out at the end of the video that the song choice was in fact intentional.
This video was effective in presenting a clear message of the issue of childhood obesity by initially providing some background info and stats to raise the viewer's awareness. After getting our attention, or rather the attention of educators/teachers, it provided practical ways for the audience to take action. Effort was also put forth effort to appeal to the audience through the use of pictures and moving text.
I personally would have found the video a little more appealing if it were more professional looking. However, I understand that there are many factors (budget, staff, etc.) that may play into this and think that it conveyed its message just fine as is.
I thought the video did a great job of illustrating the severity of the problem of childhood obesity in Canadian children, as well as the ways it can be overcome. The end of the video was key to increasing the educators self efficacy and avoiding a possible negative message effect. If the video only addressed the severity and pervasiveness of the problem, it might have caused new educators watching the video to think that the problem was too overwhelming and be discouraged from taking action.
As to the design of the video, I liked the simplicity of the photos interchanged with the simple text, showing facts. If the target audience is educators it is important to not only show powerful images, but also support these images with statistics and facts.
What makes childhood obesity such a frustrating topic is that it is, in most cases, preventable. A change in diet, some physical exercise, a little more effort on the part of parents and society and we could eliminate a lot of the issues associated with childhood obesity. I feel so sad for these children because the way they are living their life now is indicative of how they will end up in the future. It is difficult to break these habits and behaviors that they are learning as children and they tend to carry out into adulthood. They don’t know any different and it’s sad that they are not being given a fair shot at a healthy, happy life.
I really loved the simplicity of the video and I think the fact that it was less professional-looking made it more real and made it hit home a little more. The video definitely got the point across that childhood obesity is a problem, but I liked that it didn’t just stop with an awareness message. The video went on to show how the problem can be helped and it did it in a way that wasn’t too overwhelming. This video mentioned little changes and alternatives that could help the problem. It made it seem like eliminating childhood obesity was an attainable goal that could be achieved if we all made little changes and put a little effort into this preventable issue.
The video WE Can definitely evoked strong emotions regarding the tragedy of childhood obesity. It was informative about the prevalence and seriousness of the disease on the health of youth but also evoked a sense of optimism and empowerment (self-efficacy) by suggesting and demonstrating ways to prevent childhood obesity.
It seems that the target audiences are parents, school teachers, and those who care for children. I thought the video demonstrated the epidemic effectively and the music selection was especially salient. It is a very strategic move to utilize YouTube, which is such a highly trafficked website. One thing that I would suggest as an improvement is to have the text a little bigger during the intro. On the whole I really liked the health message and it was elegantly executed.
"We Can", in my opinion was targeted to ANYONE who watched it. It spoke to many different age groups and populations and professions. A child could relate to the pictures of their peers, medical professionals could relate to the statistics and coaches and educators could relate when the video targeted schools.
I think the words in black and white was a great way to stand out, making it very simple and very easy to read.
Personally, I don't think the video did a good job of portraying self efficacy. At the end, when they showed team sports and kids playing, no children were obese, which I feel sends the message that you have to be fit to play. they should have shown more children who are overweight or of all sizes playing together to work towards the same goal.
My initial thought at seeing the video was the odd and ironic (I agree with Andrea) nature of the visual and auditory content. The song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" played while obesity facts were being presented. This odd pairing equates the goal of having a normal BMI with finding the end of a rainbow. A normal BMI should not be just a dream or fairy tale, but rather an attainable target. This song was followed by “It’s a Wonderful World,” which was again an odd choice. The video splicing could have been done in such a way that this song would play once the intervention of physical education was being presented. The selection of songs in this video has the potential to send mixed messages between what is written on the screen and what is being presented through the song lyrics.
Even before the end of the video, I knew about Big Iz, the gentleman who performed this songs and his sad ending to life. I did appreciate the attempt at tying in a “celebrity” who has suffered the same fate as the kids who are the target audience in this video. Often times, the media draws a line in the sand between those in the spotlight, who are untouched by life’s ailments, and the rest of us relegated to the background. By including his story, this message may hit a little closer to home with many kids who look up to celebrities or musicians.
The message that “We Can” make a difference targets the teachers and parents of elementary aged children. This video is almost a guilt trip to teachers and administrators to increase funding for PE programs in schools.
I believe that the actual message of physical education is a valid point that can make a difference in the lives and BMI’s of kids. But this video only focuses on school-sanctioned programs. Kids are in school for 6, maybe 7, hours of the day so what about the remaining 17-18 hours? What about weekends? And school breaks? There should have been a greater emphasis on outside school activities and their role in the achievement of normal BMI in kids who are currently obese.
My initial thoughts after watching the video 'We Can' were of frustration. As Kristen mentioned, childhood obesity is definitely a frustrating topic on many levels. However, while watching the video, I was also frustrated because I felt as if there was so much more that needed to be shown! The video focused mostly on the school system, physical education, and the overuse of tv and video games. These are all very pertinent to the issue of childhood obesity, but I feel as if there was so much more that needed to be addressed, such as physical activity at home or healthy food alternatives.
I do believe the end of the video had the most impact. At first I was confused as to why those songs were chosen, but when they told about Israel, it tied everything together. Even though he was not exactly a child, he did die at a very early age, and hopefully if children watch the video, they can recognize the long term effects.
What captured my attention right away was the music. The song can have a positive or negative connotation so I was waiting to see the content that was going to be matched with the song. The video was made simple and conveyed very important information on obesity that most people can understand. The second song and the images could easily increase one's self efficacy. However,the first part of the video caught my attention more than the second and the final piece of information induced fear and sympathy. This video plays with a range of emotions using music, images and facts. These elements can be useful, leaving the viewer pondering about obesity as a health problem.
I thought that the WE CAN video definitely fulfilled it's goal of being attention grabbing. The message seemed to have a narrower focus of Physical Education teachers or leaders. The video reiterated the need for longer and more stimulating PE for the children. Also, the video promoted adults in general to take action and start a sports team where children can receive the necessary physical activity and still have fun. All in all I thought the video did a good job and hope that it does reach people.
I thought the video was appealing overall. I think the "We" in "We Can" is referring to the general public or society as a whole. I especially liked the black and white photography used at the beginning of the film. As mentioned in class, the movie did a nice job of appealing to a heuristic audience.
The statistics in the video were presented in a way that was more interesting to the viewer compared to many other ways often seen. I was surprised at the statistic regarding that only ten percent of schools in Canada have sufficient physical activity programs for the students. The biggest twist in the film was the ending, where the audience found out that the songs were written by a young man that died at a very young age due to obesity. Overall, the movie did not necessarily appeal to my self-efficacy. It definitely hit an emotional aspect and evoked feeling. But, I was not left with the feeling that I could overcome the obesity problems of so many individuals.
The music was so innocent, like the children being addressed. I think it drew on the connection that society and people raising today’s children are responsible for the terrible trend of obesity; children alone cannot become what they are in the video without some form of neglect. I think it was good to see images of obese children and see the facts.
At first I thought the video was targeting the adult population in general, then as the video went on that it was maybe geared more towards teachers or to prompt people in society to do things like become a coach which might help reverse the trend. I think the video did a good job at reminding people how much fun playing can be, by trying new sports. They also used a lot of color, especially when showing the different sports equipment, another technique to try to make sports look more appealing. Overall I think it was a good message that really makes people think. I especially liked the ending when I discovered that the music was by an obese man, who ultimately died because of exactly what this video it trying to prevent . . . obesity.
This video, while well intentioned, left much to be desired. It was not clear until over halfway through who the target audience was. ‘We’ should have been clearly defined from the start. I also found the statistics hard to read due to their small font and the speed of presentation. While they were alarming and thought provoking, if they were not read, they would have zero affect (I think my journalism background makes me a bit more critical of the technical side than most.)
Also, as another classmate mentioned, self-efficacy was actually diminished by this video. No one in the second half (the portion encouraging activity) was overweight or obese. This only serves to discourage the population further. Overweight children need to be shown that they too are able to be physically active. Despite the fact that they are not the target audience, they will see the video and be left feeling hopeless. While working with a group of overweight teens, repeatedly I was told that they simply want to see people like themselves being active and successful. They want to know that they are not alone in the endeavor to overcome obesity. Those producing videos such as this must remember who their sub-audiences are as well, and how their actions or images may hinder their underlying goal.
The music seemed a little aloof as many of you shared a similar impression. For me though, it made me stop and zone in to the message more so. I guess switch into the systematic method of thinking you could say. The video also made me very very hungry, but aside from that I thought it was very effective. I have seen many of those kids in chain emails as a joke but in this sequence it wasn't nearly as funny. I think the the video made a clear connection that childhood obesity portends a devastating lifestyle for when kids grow up.
The "WE CAN" video did a good job of describing childhood obesity. The way the facts crossed over on a black screen kept the viewers attention and focused on what was next.
The first part of the video was geared toward everyone but I felt the last part of the video really focused more toward teachers and school officials. I would have liked to have seen more pictures of families in the video as well. Pictures of families exercising together and sitting down together to a healthy meal. They could have shown families eating healthy foods at restaurants because I know some families don't always have time to cook and restaurants are providing healthier options to their consumers. Children choosing healthier options at school. I think in order to get any type of hold on this problem it will take everyone working together to stomp out this problem.
The music was eerily effective. I was not sure at first why they choose this piece of music but I liked it and the end just kind of brought it full circle.
The video “We Can” was a powerful and effective health communication message to raise awareness of the childhood obesity epidemic among the school community. The source of the video was very telling in defining the target audience. Based on the premise that the video was created to fulfill an assignment for a student seeking a teaching credential, it makes sense that it focused on the changes that could be implemented within the school community. In addition to teachers, the target audience would also include school administrators, school nurses, school wellness policy leads, parents, and community advocates who see physical education as one component of a more ecologically based approach.
The message included both emotional and rational features conveyed through a mixture of images, music, and graphics. The video offered a balance of images (cues), statistics and facts (arguments) to appeal to a wider range of audience members within the school community. While the video began with a somber and serious tone, by the end, the message became hopeful for what “we can” all do to help promote physical activity on school campuses. In this sense, I claim the message to be effective, it raises the audience’s knowledge and awareness on the childhood obesity issue and what behaviors/actions are needed to reverse the trend.
Working on school campuses in after-school programs, my staff and I are very committed to the cause and making changes in our programs to increase physical activity and healthier nutrition. I ended up showing the video to my staff and our senior management. The consensus was they felt inspired and reaffirmed that our efforts are contributing to the greater cause.
Raising awareness of imperative issues such as childhood obesity is made possible via the integrated use of media--like You Tube, a collection of user generated video content. The video, WE CAN, was designed to raise awareness about the startling statistics of obesity in children (particularly, within Canada). Furthermore, this video intended to promote physical activity in youth as a way to help reduce the prevalence and incidence of obesity.
The flashing messages and bold images kept me engaged. Although some of the facts presented in the first portion of the video were in a very small font and too quickly displayed, the later portion of the video (which offered the more hopeful information) was seen in much larger text and lingered for a bit longer. As for the audio, I agree with a few of my classmates about the mixed message simply because of the lyrical content for the first song. Nevertheless, Big Iz’s sounds are easy listening, and appealing to the senses.
That second portion of the video was key in capturing some effective weight management ideas for individuals and groups. Family and Educational Leaders, I believe, are the target audience. With a vulnerable population such as children, we must look to those who can help guide them and serve as role models—credible sources. School officials were seen in a few of the images and this definitely helped personalize the message.
The ideas that were presented (i.e.” Promote PE,” “Join In,” “Try Something New”) help create a supportive and dynamic environment while touching on the idea that self efficacy can be fostered through group empowerment. Self efficacy is encouraged and others are prompted to examine the problem at hand (i.e. obesity) and problem solve (i.e. ways to promote physical activity) to set realistic goals. For example, “Sponser A Lunchtime Club” can utilize time that is not intended for academics and can incorporate fun time with real fitness goals—overcoming a barrier that some educators may see in there not being enough time to cover required curriculum and still promote physical fitness beyond the classroom. Encouraging and motivating, these ideas that serve as tools, can inspire groups or individuals—especially cohesive groups that have strong/established social networks. Collectively, family members and teachers/community leaders, can really impact a child’s life. The strength of this impact can be seen throughout the years as a child learns healthy behaviors and carries them through adulthood.
Simply the words “We Can” evoke a sense of encouragement and hopefully more people will feel the overwhelming need to address such an issue as obesity…
I just watched the Child Obesity video right now and I agree with Ashely that the video could really send some mix messages in the beginning. If I didn't know that this was a childhood obesity video from the beginning, I'm not sure what I would have made from hearing the song, Over the rainbow in the introduction of the video.
I think the video would be more effective with a different approach such as using a more upbeat song, letting us know who the target audience is, the statistics could be in larger font, and a shorter video instead of the 6 minutes video.
At the end, I did like how they used a celebrity who suffered and died from obesity as an example. I think that using a concrete example like this is a good way to show kids what can happen if you don't exercise and eat healthy.
Overall, I think the video did convey its message about childhood obesity.
I think that the "WE CAN" video was pretty effective in the conveying the message it intended to.I liked the way simple graphics were used to show the statistics instead of the the fancy ones. I feel that this appeals to the audience.I feel that the video did a real good job in identifying the target audience. I feel that the "WE" in the message refers to all the people that watch the video meaning that every one can work towards the cause in every small way possible. Although i feel that the self efficacy of any obese kid watching this video will decrease instead of increasing because of the fact that the kids shown exercising and playing are not overweight or obese. I feel that they should have shown more obese kids doing exercise of physical activity.
Over all i do feel that the intended message has been sent across and hope that people do help in every little way they can.
The word "we" refers primarily to parents because they are the ones buying the food for their children. The parents are the decision makers who make the choices for the children whether they eat healthy or not. The person used statistics and images to attract the audience. It did not allow me to get bored because there was an interplay of reading and watching. No, I do not think this video will improve self-efficacy and change because the video was more informational than a step by step guide.
I agree with a previous comment stating that the animated text and small font size of important statistics made them difficult to follow. This makes the viewer have to put in additional effort in order to comprehend the messages being sent. I think that this, coupled with the slower pace and overall longer length of the video is more suitable to capture and keep the attention of viewers who already have an interest in the issue of childhood obesity (and these individuals would likely also already know much of the information presented in the video).
My largest concern with the video was the depiction of extremely obese children in the beginning half of the video. While shocking and therefore attention-grabbing, these images did a diservice to the message's ability to resonate with MOST school teachers. Most children are nowhere near as obese as the children shown in the video, and most classrooms do not have children of that immense size. As a result, teachers may think that since their students do not resemble those portrayed in the video, they are not 'at risk' for the health problems outlined. Because of this, I think that the video would be largely ineffective in changing the beliefs, attitudes, or motivation of the 'average' school teacher.
That being said, I think the end segment detailing 'action steps' was smart and useful. And I also agree with previous comments that the images of children being active would benefit from containing children of varying weights (not only thin kids).
Obesity has continued to become a health concern among adults, adolescents AND children. Which explains the fact that it has now become a "trend". The video aims to influence each and everyone of us because of the severity of the issue. Therefore, the intended audience has no restriction. The video tried to make their video appealing through images and music. Although, lacking in professionalism to a certain degree.
In class we learned about the three functions of communication. One of the main functions is to inform the audience, and the video did an excellent job of raising awareness on the issue at hand. By doing this, many positive results can occur, and here is how it can happen. By informing the audience you are changing their knowledge, which in turn may change their attitudes, with the hopes of changing their behavior.
I thought the video was targeted more towards community leaders, physical activity instructors, health educators to motivate them to make an impact in their community and change the current condition of childhood obesity. To me it provided more support and momentum to what was already occuring to combat childhood obesity in Canada. I don't feel like it would be a good video for parents of obese children or children who are obese, because it would seem too broad.
I really enjoyed the music and was shocked to see who the musician was and how his life ended at such a young age. Using his music helped to show how much obesity has an impact on one's life and how it can affect a life with so much potential and talent.
Over the Rainbow is a very popular song which most people associate with something pleasant. Pairing a song with such a positive connotation with material and a message that most people would not consider to be pleasant, i.e., the childhood obesity epidemic, is a great strategy to engage the observer, even if initially it is only because they like the song. In addition, the song evokes optimism and hopefulness and I think that this is an important message to get across in order to prevent the audience from being discouraged by the facts and images that are being presented at the beginning of the video. If the video did not convey a sense of hope from the beginning many could have lost interest in the video prior to the introduction of potential solutions to the problem.
I believe that the target audience is the community and more specifically parents and teachers. I would say that the video does a good job of appealing to the audiences’ self efficacy because it includes strategies via which individuals can help combat the epidemic. More importantly, these messages are reinforced by images of members of the community engaging in such behaviors.
Simple but powerful is the best way I can describe this video. The music selections, the images, and the text led me through a roller coaster in terms of intially feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, to relieved and hopeful. The final image and message of the musician helped bring the effect the film had an extremely sobering effect to lead me to want to prevent that type of tragedy for myself or my own family.
As a former teacher I liked the simple suggestions of the way teachers could be more pro-active to fight this epidemic. Yet my pessimist side wondered if Canada had a lack of funding like the US to allow for more PE programs or time for teachers to sponsor activities on lunch. I also wondered what venue they were sharing this message in b/c outside of a school setting there would not be as many suggestions that have not already been made to parents of obese children.
Ultimately they did a great job for their message being communicated and I felt my own motivation to not want that to ever happen to my children. Reformulating the message for larger groups beyond teachers would be very useful and only take some tweeking of current images, music, and messages.
The video " We Can", gave a harsh glimpse into the realities of obesity. The reality is that children are being trained to appreciate fatty foods, video games, and the like. All while denying behaviors that will decrease obesity such as fitness activities, healthy eating etc. The clear message behind this video is the influences that fast food companies, retailers etc. are making on societies youth.
It is such a shame that parents and or caregivers have little to minimal control over what is being broadcasted to children. Take for example, a single mother with three children, who works two jobs to provide for her household. It would be safe to assume that the monthly income, would not allow access to the healthier foods, and the parent may be absent from the home for long periods of time, thus, creating leverage for the consumptions of fatty foods.
The video targeted teachers, schools, and community leaders. I personally believe the "we" should refer to parents. Although the video addresses the importance of schools to play a major role in alleviating the epidemic, I believe parents have much more control over their child's diet and level of PA. Specifically, parental feeding style (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive) has been shown to be associated with childhood obesity. I feel the school is a great avenue to reach children and educate parents, however, it is not the responsibility of the school system to fix the problem. Parents need to take a more active role in monitoring their child's diet and promoting PA. Public health messages that address childhood obesity should target parents. However, I feel that I cannot be overly critical over who this video targets since it was made for a class in the field of education and not public health specifically.
I agree that the text was too small and the animation was distracting; losing much impact of each message and statistic. Therefore, the video had little impact on my self-efficacy.
I liked the music but I feel there could have been a better song choice to grab and maintain the audience's attention.
The "WE CAN" video was a very effective health communication message. The synergy of photos, music, and factual statements produced a profound effect on the viewer. The video not only illustrated the severity of the problem, but it encouraged its audience to take action and do something to help remediate the problem.
I think that the video could have been more appealing if on the second part, it showed obese kids modeling healthy behaviors like exercising at school, playing at home with family and eating healthy meals instead of ONLY showing “fit” and thin kids being active and playing at school. Although the second part of the video seemed to be targeted to teachers and school officials, I think it could also be targeted towards parents. Kids of all sizes and ages should be portrayed being active at school and at home.
The WE CAN video definitely fulfilled it's goal by grabbing my attention. The music strikes me as a sad song, making you wondering the message might be a serious subject. Physical Education teachers or leaders seemed like the answer to the problem of childhood obesity, and the need for longer and more stimulating PE for the children. Its other goals seems like it wanted to promote adults in general to take action by starting a sports team where children can get the necessary physical activity and still have fun. Overall, I think the video did a good job. I actually didn't know that Canada had the same problem, maybe this may give us a chance to work together to battle this battle of obesity in our current and future generations.
My opinion is that the video’s primary message, "We can", is directed towards any responsible adult who can have a significant effect on the lives of the children around them, be they teachers, school officials, physicians, or most importantly, parents.
While the video's simplicity aids in giving its message clarity and ease of understanding, it can also make it seem like an amateur attempt at trying to tackle an issue that is big enough to warrant a more professional presentation. The effort is certainly commendable, but I personally believe that this issue requires more careful planning as well as a more comprehensive scope. Simply creating a montage of obese children that is intersped with statistical information and motivational text may only serve as an inconvenient reminder of an easily preventable issue. Inducing the necessary and fundamental change it takes to undertake a healthy lifestyle on the part of the children means that the people who can change their environment must have the unshakable drive and initiative to positively affect the lives of these children.
I am mostly concerned with the end of the video, where they concluded with the untimely death of one of the video’s singers. I personally think that this is an extremely bad decision on the part of the makers of this video. In fact, I believe it borders on the manipulative. I only see this young man’s death as greatly unfortunate, not as a stark reminder of the dangers of obesity as the authors of this video so blatantly intended.
Otherwise, the video does a good job at what it is trying to do: remind us of a problem that if not addressed, can quickly grow to become an epidemic that would be increasingly difficult to control.
I saw the strengths of the video as being a topic worth addressing, easy to understand regardless of age and provided simple steps/actions for both child and adult to adopt. The main downfall that sticks out in my mind is the music selection. I found myself distracted trying to figure out why two hawaiian songs were choosen which at times overshadowed the message.
I agree with the many fellow classmates who mentioned that the music was initially a source of curiosity for me. I was wondering why they used the 2 Hawaiian songs and what significance they had to their target population. Obviously the end point about that very talented man dying at such a young age was meant to make the effects of young obesity more tangible.
I liked the simplicity of the video, however, I had a hard time reading some of the script because it was so small. All in all, I think it successfully got the point across that they were aiming for.
I believe the video was targeted toward educators of young children but initially had information that every health conscious person could find beneficial. The one statistic that jumped out at me and was incredibly frustrating, was the fact that only 10% of schools report doing 30 mins of physical activity per day. I think educating about healthy, active lifestyles will be more beneficial for the future workforce than making kids sit in classrooms for that time.
I liked the key stats the video provided. I think they did a good job appealing to the lay person as well as to those who somewhat know their stuff in this area and are looking for the stats and the facts to do the convinving.I liked how the video offered simple soultions to prevent the problem. If I was a mother who was concerned with this issue, this video would have made it easy for me realise that it's realistically possible to prevent it before it happens with simple measures.
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