Listen
People urged to 'take life on'
01/06/2008
A high-profile campaign aims to get people leading healthier lifestyles by following simple, achievable steps.
The £500,000 'Take Life On' initiative will feature TV, radio and billboard adverts and a dedicated website, with the message that making small changes in our everyday lives will help reduce the risk of serious illnesses and leave us feeling good about ourselves.
The publicity material and website, running until September, will provide tips about what to choose when eating out, how to fit in a recommended 30 minutes brisk walking five times a week, and having two alcohol-free days per week.
Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health, said:
"The major message of Take Life On is that simple switches in our daily lives can make a real difference to our health and give us a feel-good boost.
"It doesn't mean making big sacrifices or cutting out pleasures altogether. Small changes like walking to work, aiming for at least two alcohol-free days per week or cutting down on crisps and biscuits by making switches to fruit or vegetables, all add up."
She added:
"As well as helping us feel more positive about ourselves, these easy steps can make a real difference to our health by helping to reduce the risk of serious conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
"It's also about recognising that, in real life, factors like being active, alcohol intake and diet are interrelated and that we need the right balance to feel healthy and happy as individuals. It's about taking life on, one step at a time."
This campaign is aimed at all adults, particularly in the more disadvantaged social groups who are most vulnerable to the chronic diseases associated with an unhealthy diet, alcohol consumption and inactivity.
Two-thirds of girls and women are not active enough to stay healthy, so this campaign will also have a particular focus on girls and young women from the age of 16 when physical activity levels drop dramatically.
Over the next three years the Scottish Government will be investing £56 million pounds (of which £40 million is new money) in initiatives dedicated to tackling obesity, healthy eating and physical activity. The Scottish Government will publish an action plan later this spring providing further details of these initiatives. This action plan will build on, not replace, the continued delivery of the Diet Action Plan and Physical Activity Strategy.
The Scottish Government will invest over £120 million over the next three years to help prevent alcohol misuse and provide support and treatment to those who need it. This figure includes £85 million of extra investment in this area.
