When choosing a spokesperson for a cause, advertisers generally pick somebody who exemplifies the cause.  A woman rallying against smoking, should not have an anti-tobacco sign in one hand and a cigarette in the other.  A man who has a well-known drinking problem would not be very convincing telling others that alcohol is bad right before heading off to the bar. 

Such people could still be used effectively in marketing for a cause by serving as an example of what may happen to somebody if they continued an unhealthy behavior.  The smoker could explain what health problems they have experienced over the years from smoking; the drinker could detail the same or the grief they have experienced because of driving drunk.  These presentations may be even more effective than having a non-smoker or teetotaler lecturing about the ill-effects of those vices.

Which is why I don't understand a recent ad campaign financed by the Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF), supported by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program education (SNAP-Ed) funding.   MFF is a State Implementing Agency of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for SNAP-Ed. SNAP-Ed is an education program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that teaches people eligible for SNAP how to live healthier lives. 

Two recent press releases meant to support programs emphasizing exercise and healthy eating seem to miss an important point in their presentation.  One of those deals with signage being placed in Ludington and Baldwin, the article tells us:  

New wayfinding signs in two northwestern lower Michigan communities are encouraging public housing residents to get out and walk routes in their neighborhoods, as part of a greater effort to promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles. In September, temporary lawn signs marking the designated routes were placed outside Lawndale Apartments in Ludington and the Baldwin Housing Commission in Baldwin.

“We wanted to know if the signs and the routes are having an impact on people’s lives,” says Erin Barrett (pictured above), a public health planner with District Health Department #10 (DHD#10), which serves 10 counties in northwestern lower Michigan. “We wanted to find out if they got out and used the trail system."  ... Permanent signage and other infrastructure improvements are costly, so DHD#10 is focusing on the temporary wayfinding and route markers “to nudge people to move more in their own neighborhoods,” Barrett says.

The elephant in the room when hearing the message of exercise and healthy eating habits from Erin and observing her signs is that this woman in her mid-20s does not appear to be at a healthy weight.  A recent photo from her Facebook page shows that she could benefit from practicing what she preaches.

This must be pointed out not for the reason of fat-shaming her or others, but because the message she is conveying from the state and local health department (agencies that have backed shutting down playgrounds, fitness centers, and numerous other recreational entertainment for the last eight months) is a regimen that she is apparently not following.  The message to the public gets lost through cognitive interference with her message, her appearance, and the actions of the DHHS and DHD #10.  

Erin is not being singled out in the mixed messages coming from the Michigan Fitness Foundation and their Snap-Ed programs, another story comes from Van Buren County, where it notes:

This article is part of Stories of Change, a series of inspirational articles of the people who deliver evidence-based programs and strategies that empower communities to eat healthy and move more...

...Today, Daisy Manriquez (pictured above) is 24 and the tables have turned: her job is leading SNAP-Ed programming to educate a new generation on healthy eating and physical fitness.

If the tables have turned, it's likely because there was food on the other side of the table that Daisy wanted.  If Daisy was coming into your kid's school to educate them on eating healthy and becoming physically fit, wouldn't you worry that they would be confused or consider her a bit of a hypocrite?

Erin and Daisy, two Michigan women in their mid-twenties sermonizing healthy eating and regular exercise on behalf of a state government that has shut down health food stores and fitness centers without good reason, need to practice what they preach-- or at least come clean on their own issues that keep them from setting a good example.

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Interesting thinking, X. But maybe it's some sort of plot to include those overweight, and not make them feel bad for joining the walking tour, for if these moderately overweight people can do it, maybe the even-more overweight can. And think of the impact upon those that really need to exercise if there were really buff and slim advertisers/promoters. Maybe they would feel intimidated to even start. Whatever, it does seem like the DHHS is choosing a certain-look promoting advertiser. As far as things go now days, everyone needs a sign and a boost to do anything, it seems. (Or maybe the sign lady is behind it all just to make more signs.) Signs signs, everywhere signs, breaking up the scenery, blocking my mind. Do this, don't do that can't you read the ugly plastic sign (excuse my paraphrasing).

I for one am sick and tired of my tax dollars paying for this kind of stupid nonsense. These women are earning a living off tax dollars by telling everyone else what to do. Frankly I don't care if they are skinny or fat because that's their business but X is right, if your going to tell others how to live especially if your a know it all, in your twenties, you had better be following your own advice. Get a real job ladies and get off the public's teat. I can say that for thousands of other government workers. Especially those chicken sh_t union teachers who are caving into bureaucrats and not doing their jobs. What a milk toast generation that's in charge of our schools. That 100 million dollars we gave them was money down the drain. My apologies to the good teachers. There are not many of them left. If I'm not wrong there may actually be more substitute teachers than the main teachers.

Thanks for your observations, LL, I knew that I would get grief on both the Torch and Pitchfork for arguing one of the basic ideas behind marketing.  One of those is:  On-target messaging is the cornerstone of effective marketing campaigns.  Having somebody who is over their healthy weight directly advocate for eating healthy and exercising goes against that.  

In today's culture, it is anathema to point out that somebody is overweight or any of the many consequences to your health for being overweight, it's a huge reason why the problem is only getting bigger.  Teaching kids and the community how to achieve good health while exhibiting traits that infer that you are not following the rules you are teaching, spoils the message.  

There was a big reason why Bush 41 chose Arnold Schwarzenegger as fitness czar in 1990 rather than William Conrad (TV's Cannon and Fatman in Jake and the Fatman).  

Well said, Lake Lady. I see the hypocrisy in the sign and Willy's corrections are so funny! XLFD's message that the hypocrisy of Gov. GRETCH shutting down recreation, and our society in general was completely lost with taking a personal picture of a spokesman for DHS out of facebook and the "fat-shaming" is all that was seen. Our society has lost sight of the fact that having a little more weight can be healthy, if one's lifestyle is active. It is the fructose-laden products in our fast-food society that has increased the majority of our society to be fat-cheeked lab rats. DHS's next sign should be to walk away from those places that serve that crap food that is making our society sick and cancer-prone. And if it takes some flimsy signs for this young generation to do so, then it's probably better than not having to be irritated by distracting one's driving, imo.

Remember those ads on TV a few years back with a skinny, sickly looking lady talking with a stint out of her throat advocating for not smoking?  And on the same vein was a lady dragging a land oxygen tank from room to room.  Is that reverse-psychology messaging?  The message here, though hypocritical and mixed messages (due to Governor's shutdowns) is a good one even if put on flimsy signs in the beginning of winter.  I hope they advocate for safe sidewalks to walk on in the winter.

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