Food and fitness for the family: A five-part television series

Abstract

One-third of respondents in a recent survey cited television as an influential source of information for changing food practices for health or nutrition reasons (1). Not only does TV influence food behavior, it is also the easiest way to reach a large audience. Thus, to mark the United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Fitness Year and the American Dietetic Association's National Nutrition Time, we developed a five-part television series on food and fitness for the family. I worked with the university's agriculture information TV section to produce a series of five 90-second nutrition messages. This length message is ideal for newscasts. Each of the five spots focuses on a different stage of the life cycle: infancy, preschool, adolescence, adulthood, and elderly. The television personnel videotaped shots of a family eating dinner, and we used these as an opening for each segment. After the opening sequence, each 90-second spot focuses on an appropriate physical activity for the age group being addressed. I was Videotaped in various settings (day-care center, playground, gym, marathon route, and exercise class) discussing food and fitness guidelines for each age group. Then the TV reporter voicedover the introduction and closing. The script for the fourth news story follows: