Santé Publique France: Getting teenagers to move is not easy

Santé Publique France helps parents encourage their teens to move more every day.

Today, 67% of boys and 80% of girls between the ages of 11 and 14 do not reach the recommendations in terms of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle (source: Esteban study 2014-2016):

-Do at least 1 hour of physical activity per day, including 3 times per week of intense activities. Example: dancing, mountain biking, ball
games, jump rope...

-Reduce the sedentary lifestyle by standing up at least every 2 hours and try to limit screen time.

In this context, how do motivate teenagers to move a little more each day?

«Various studies on physical activity in children and teenagers show that parental support has a major influence on physical activity. So, we had to find a way to address parents to help them encourage their teenagers to be more active,» says Anne-Juliette Serry, Head of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Unit at Santé Publique France.

Confinements, closed schools, extended vacations, various protocols... Parents are exhausted and may give up encouraging their children to practice physical activities every day. According to a study by IFOP (April 2022), one-third of mothers declare themselves to be in a state of mental and physical exhaustion («parental burn-out»). «Faced with this exhaustion, only an emphatic discourse that recognizes the daily

efforts of parents will be able to remobilize them,

says Jérôme Lavillat, Director of Strategies at the Romance agency.

From September 1st, Santé Publique France with its agency Romance launches a campaign to support parents. The film, directed by Julie Navarro, shows with love, humor, and accuracy, the resistance that parents are shown when faced with the repeated «no» of their teenagers. The film aims to remind all parents that they are not alone and that they should not be discouraged by this array of sighs, pouts, grunts and «no’s» because encouragement always pays off in the end.

The film will be broadcast on TV, cinema, VOL, and on social networks. It will be accompanied by a digital campaign aimed at parents and health professionals that will link to mangerbouger.fr. The site will feature tips and tricks to help teens move more, as well as a test to assess their level of physical activity.

ADVERTISER CREDITS

Deputy Director of Prevention

and Health Promotion: Claudine Tanguy

Head of the Food & Physical Activity Unit

Physical Activity Unit: Anne-Juliette Serry

Communication Officer for Food

&Physical Activities: Fanny Gras & Chloé Resche

AGENCY CREDITS

CEO : Christophe Lichtenstein

Chief Creative Officer: Alexandre Hervé

Creative Director: Frederick Lung

Copywriter : Camélia Relier Baccouche