On September 29, World Heart Day was commemorated, an initiative of the World Heart Federation with support from the WHO, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of lifestyle in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases are a type of non-communicable disease associated with lifestyle and cause 3.2 million deaths per year worldwide. They are mainly related to three major factors: diet, physical activity/sedentary behavior, and smoking. The goal is to bring to the public stage the importance of physical activity and nutrition in preventing these diseases. For example, during the Women's European Football Championship held in the Netherlands, campaigns were launched to encourage football fans to increase their physical activity through ball games.
Undoubtedly, the appealing side of these strategies lies in the conception of physical activity as something playful and attractive. On other occasions, we have already pointed out how the cult of a body with a certain aesthetic often leads to confusion between aesthetic and health goals, sometimes making the lines between them very blurry. Physical activity does not have to be monotonous, obligatory, or aimed at achieving a specific body shape. Justifying an aesthetic goal with a health goal makes a person seem less vain for going to the gym. What Heart Day campaigns remind us is that physical activity does not have to be seen as an obligation and, therefore, as a burden. Physical activity can be playful. However, these campaigns must always be contextualized according to the environment in which they are applied. For example, analyzing the case of the Dutch, to whom the campaign was directed. A large part of the population routinely travels by bicycle to their workplaces. In a city like Mexico, this factor becomes immensely complicated due to urban issues, distances, demographic concentration, idiosyncrasy, and even a culture of distinction.
Just as emphasis is placed on the idea that physical activity does not have to be boring, it is sometimes forgotten to make the same point about nutrition. In general, and according to various sociological studies, the perception of "healthy" eating is completely dissociated from eating that provides pleasure. Sometimes, this dimension is overlooked as if it did not significantly affect health. On the other hand, as part of the strategies for World Heart Day, increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables is suggested as one of the main dietary recommendations. Again, these types of recommendations must be contextualized to a socioeconomic reality that determines access to food and, therefore, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, although obviously not only the economic factor determines their consumption.
The generalization of messages means that their true effectiveness depends on understanding the context so that strategies have a real impact on the population. The messages themselves must promote non-moralistic approaches.
Originally published in El Economista
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— This article was originally published in Spanish by Liliana Martínez Lomelí. Translation generated with AI from the original text.