Strategies for health promotion: facing the challenge in South Africa

Many health promotion intervention studies have been conducted with the goal of encouraging people to change their lifestyles. These include interventions in the community, at worksites, in a medical setting, and on patients at high risk of disease. These interventions have had, in general, a limited impact (eg, risk of heart disease is lowered by 5%-15%). These interventions were carried out in developed countries, and little is known as to their effectiveness in developing countries such as South Africa. Numerous barriers impede the success of health promotion interventions, including the cost of healthy food, advertising for unhealthy food, and food labels that are confusing. Policy measures are proposed, including government interventions using taxes and subsidies so as to manipulate prices and bring about desirable changes in eating patterns and other aspects of lifestyle. A new type of healthcare professional is suggested with a specialization in health promotion.