Social marketing theory is an important aspect in public health promotion. It is an applied approach process of program-planning that analyses the social consequences of commercial marketing concepts and focuses on how consumers responds with services and products to promote voluntary behavior change (Bernhard, D., et al, 2009). Social marketing focuses on the target audience’s approval, refusal, alteration, rejection or maintenance of particular behaviors and applies commercial marketing concepts in order to achieve desired behavioral change. Although its target audience is usually made up of consumers such as individuals, communities or societies, social marketing can also be used to reach out to law makers who have bigger influences on …show more content…
Social marketing in the fight against childhood obesity approaches all levels of environment to include family and friends, community, school or workplace. Introduction of healthy ways or products are done on all levels of environment such as the proper handling and healthy choices of food, more calorie output than intake, active lifestyle, health benefits of not being obese, and etc. Social marketing of unhealthy ways is to provide better understanding of the risks associated with obesity such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, other major joint problems and etc. (Lopez-Jimenez, F., et. al., 2011). Other unhealthy ways that can be explored by the social marketing theory are the negative effects of being sedentary, and eating of junk and fast foods. Social marketing campaigns and messages must be aimed at both parents (to be the primary enforcers) and children (to change their preferences) in the effort to change social norms about food preference, social desirability of exercise, and healthy weight. Messages of the ill effects of sedentary practices such as excessive media use (TV watching, playing video games, internet surfing) and recommended behavioral changes must reached the parents and children in order to reduce obesity risk