The Choice is Yours

As of 2019, Oklahoma’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) showed that Oklahoma had the 8th highest youth obesity prevalence in the US and 17.6% of Oklahoma teens were obese. Concerning behaviors include insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption and overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. For example, only 9.4% of Oklahoma teens ate vegetables 3 or more times per day and nearly 1 in 4 (22.3%) of Oklahoma teens drank at least 1 can of soda per day in 2019. According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver disease, various cancers and sleep apnea as well as an array of other health concerns. These alarming figures highlight the need to not only educate youth about the risks of unhealthy eating, but also to develop messages that drive them to reconsider their daily eating habits.

Our research with over 400 Oklahoma teenagers found found they were more likely to appreciate the importance of food choices if they are tied to concrete, immediate effects on their daily lives. Based on these insights, we sought to associate the pros of healthy swaps (strength, focus, happiness, satisfied hunger) and cons of unhealthy effects (weak, tired, moody, hungry/bloated) to their lifestyles and everyday activities. We wanted to show them how what they were consuming was affecting things like athletic performance, alertness, or energy for class.

Rescue Agency Production Credits: Jon Aiken, Senior Copywriter / Rob Bibelhauser, Creative Director / Courtney Marsh, Director / Kathleen Thomas, Account Supervisor / Allison Yates, Producer