The "Swap It, Don't Stop It" campaign aims to promote healthier lifestyle changes to Australians to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes. It encourages people to make small swaps in their daily habits, like choosing water over soda or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. The campaign communicates through television, radio, and an interactive website providing tips and resources. Its target is primarily Australians aged 25-50 and 45-65 to build awareness and self-efficacy around simple lifestyle modifications. Evaluation found the campaign effectively raised awareness of health risks, and suggestions include organizing more active community events.

1. Diabetes Type 2

2. What is Diabetes Type 2
• Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with
diabetes. While it usually affects older adults, more and younger people, even
children, are getting type 2 diabetes.
• In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes some insulin but it is not produced in the
amount your body needs and it does not work effectively.
• Type 2 diabetes results from a combination of genetic and environmental
factors. Although there is a strong genetic predisposition, the risk is greatly
increased when associated with lifestyle factors such as high blood
pressure, overweight or obesity, insufficient physical activity, poor diet and the
classic ‘apple shape’ body where extra weight is carried around the waist.
• Type 2 diabetes can often initially be managed with healthy eating and regular
physical activity. However, over time most people with type 2 diabetes will also
need tablets and many will also need insulin. It is important to note that this is
just the natural progression of the disease, and taking tablets or insulin as soon
as they are required can result in fewer complications in the long-term.
• However, there is currently no cure for type 2 diabetes.

3. Cause of Type 2 Diabetes
• While there is no single cause of type 2 diabetes, there are well-
established risk factors. Some of these can be changed and some cannot.
• You are at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes if you:
 have a family history of diabetes
 are older (over 55 years of age ) - the risk increases as we age
 are over 45 years of age and are overweight
 are over 45 years of age and have high blood pressure
 are over 35 years of age and are from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander background
 are over 35 years of age and are from Pacific Island, Indian subcontinent or
Chinese cultural background
 are a woman who has given birth to a child over 4.5 kgs, or had gestational
diabetes when pregnant, or had a condition known as Polycystic Ovarian
Syndrome.

4. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
• In type 2 diabetes, many people have no symptoms at all, while other signs are
dismissed as a part of ‘getting older’. By the time type 2 diabetes is
diagnosed, the complications of diabetes may already be present. Symptoms
include:
 Being excessively thirsty
 Passing more urine
 Feeling tired and lethargic
 Always feeling hungry
 Having cuts that heal slowly
 Itching, skin infections
 Blurred vision
 Gradually putting on weight
 Mood swings
 Headaches
 Feeling dizzy
 Leg cramps

5. Preventing Type 2 Managing Type 2
Diabetes Diabetes
• It is estimated that up to 60% • While there is currently no
of type 2 diabetes can be cure for type 2
prevented. People at risk of diabetes, the disease can
type 2 diabetes can delay and be managed through
even prevent this disease by
following a healthy lifestyle. lifestyle modifications and
This includes: medication
 Maintaining a healthy weight
 Regular physical activity
 Making healthy food choices
 Managing blood pressure
 Managing cholesterol levels
 Not smoking

6. Identify Examples
• Diabetes Act! On; This is a campaign pamphlet for health
professionals informing them how to take measurements of their
patient’s weight and find out whether they are at a risk of
developing diabetes.
• http://www.healthpromotion.com.au/Documents/CIM/Diabetes_
Australia_waist_circumference.pdf
• Australian Diabetes Council; This site helps Australians understand
the causes of diabetes, and how to be more aware of the risk
factors involved. For example, there are interactive components
to this website such as a quiz taken to determine what risk
someone is at, a member’s area to update online profile as well as
contributing to this cause to make a difference to others.
• http://www.australiandiabetescouncil.com/

7. Identify Examples (Continued)
• Swap It, Don’t Stop It; Swap It is a national campaign running
across TV, Print, Online and Radio. The campaign is focused on
promoting the simple, everyday changes you can make to have a
healthier and more active lifestyle.
• http://swapit.gov.au/
• Diabetes Australia; Diabetes Australia is the national peak body
for diabetes in Australia providing a single, powerful, collective
voice for people living with diabetes, their families and carers. A
non-profit organisation, Diabetes Australia works in partnership
with diabetes consumer organisations, health
professionals, educators and researchers to minimise the impact
of diabetes in the Australian community. Diabetes Australia is
committed to turning diabetes around through
awareness, prevention, detection, management and the search
for a cure.

8. Identify Examples (Continued)
• National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS); The National
Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) is an initiative of the
Australian Government administered by Diabetes
Australia. Through the administration of the
NDSS, Diabetes Australia provides practical
assistance, information and subsidised products to nearly
1,000,000 Australians diagnosed with diabetes.
http://www.ndss.com.au/
• Measure Up; Measure Up is campaign which provides easy
to follow tips and guidelines to help individuals decrease
risk of chronic disease including diabetes type 2 by
reducing their waist measurement.
http://www.measureup.gov.au/internet/abhi/publishing.n
sf/content/home

9. By Sally Yang, Lisa
Yang & Julia Yan
“Swap It, Don’t Stop It”
Campaign

10. Background Info
• The Measure Up campaign has effectively worked to
raise Australians’ awareness in the link between an
increased waistline and chronic disease such as
diabetes type 2 and other chronic diseases, which was
launched as a part of the Australian Better Health
Initiative, which is a national program supported by all
states and territory governments.
• From the data collected by research, it has shown that
the Measure Up campaign, with its simple but effective
waist measurement message, has achieved high
recognition and thus, many Australians now
understand why waist circumference is important.

11. Health Promotion Strategy
• This campaign is aimed to promote healthier eating and
exercising habits which aims to prevent or delay the onset
of chronic diseases (i.e. diabetes type 2).
• It aims to make simple changes to the lives of Australians
that have become unhealthy over the years and get onto a
healthier lifestyle by eating more healthily and being more
active by simply ‘swapping the things you love’.
• The Swap It, Don’t Stop It campaign is to effectively show
Australians how they can do something about their
increased waistline. It builds on the awareness created by
the first phase of the Measure Up campaign and works by
showing people how they can make small lifestyle changes
to improve their health and lifestyle and at the same
time, reduce their waistline.

12. Health Promotion Strategy
• It aims to continue to build consumers’ self-efficacy by
conveying simple but personally relevant messages in
easy steps that everyone can follow in an aim to
improve their health and wellbeing.
• Rather than employing the words like ‘going on a diet’
and being restrictive in the foods you can eat and
cannot eat, the campaign encourages Australians to
‘start thinking like a swapper’. It provides a basic, easy-
to-follow framework for change in lifestyle eating
habits, enabling Australians to identify all the swaps
they can make in their everyday life by increasing
movement, improving nutrition, thus starting to lose
centimetres from around their waist.

13. Campaign’s Message
• Healthy eating and getting active can help you lose centimetres and
prevent or delay the onset of chronic diseases such as diabetes type 2
• The accumulation of small everyday changes can help to get you on
your way to a healthier lifestyle; without losing all the things you love
doing
• You don’t have to stop it, just swap it
• Change is easier than you think
• Small changes can make a big difference
• Small changes add up
• You just have to sway some things around
• You don’t have to give up everything you love doing

14. Campaign’s Message
Supporting these messages is a suite of simple, achievable swaps to inspire Australians
to take action. For example:
Swap big for small Swap often for Swap sitting for Swap watching for
sometimes moving playing
- Don’t overcrowd - Swap fried food - Walk and deliver - Don’t just watch
your plate for fresh a message rather sport – get out
- Think twice - Swap fizzy drink than email and get active
before going back for water - Swap the lift or
- Get outdoors
for seconds - Swap take away escalator for the
- Eat slowly to give for home made stairs with the family
your stomach - Eat less - Swap the car for - Swap a family
time to signal it’s ‘sometimes’ the bike movie for bowling
full foods - Get off the bus - Swap an ad-break
- Share a dessert one stop earlier smack for an ad-
and walk the rest
break wander
of the way
- Meet friends for a
walk, instead of
coffee and cake

15. How is it Communicated?
• The Government has provided several
ways to communicate this health
promotion to our community. On the
website of ‘Swap It, Don’t Stop It’, there
are established interactive features in
order for us to be more involved with this
theory and also many useful tips and
suggestions available. Some features
include signing up for news articles and an
online 12 week planner to balance our
lifestyle. There are also regular campaigns
featured on the TV and on radio, which
has helped this campaign gain many more
recognition and interest as a lot of
Australians are aware of these particular
types of media.

16. How is it Communicated?
• Also, due to the fact that Eric, the blue balloon
personality, represents the majority of the Australia
population, he and his family have a likeable down-to-earth
personality thus making the campaign more accessible to the
average Australian. The simplicity of the campaign is also
appreciated by the Australian audience, making this ‘Swap
It, Don’t Stop It’ more effective. It is also been seen as easy to
understand and being both credible and achievable, providing a
sense of personal empowerment for Australians at risk.
• Other successful communication procedures include the
organisation of a ‘Final Round’ which is available information
sessions for the community and also merchandises such as
Frisbees and other products on sale to promote an active and
healthy lifestyle.

17. Target Audience
• While the campaign’s
message resonates to
all Australians, the
primary target
audiences are:
 Men and women aged
between 25-50 years
who have children
 All men and women
aged between 45-65
years

18. Evaluation
• This particular promotion strategy is warning Australians to
be more cautious about diabetes and other chronic
illnesses on the rise. This is due to the average Australians
developing habit of unhealthy lifestyle. The campaign has
been well-received throughout Australia and thus, has been
very effective as a marketing strategy. Through the
effectiveness of the Phase One campaign, which have been
successful in explaining why Australians need to keep their
waist measurement in check. This campaign’s strategy
follows up, and is also does an extremely successful job at
getting Australians to be aware of their waist
measurement, their weight, eating and healthy lifestyle
habits.

19. Evaluation
• This is done by featuring regular campaigns on TV and
radio, selling merchandises to promote an active
lifestyle and having an interactive website that links to
other similar campaigns done by the government, thus
piquing people’s interest and getting them involved
throughout all forms of media available. The strategy
has also been promoted in around areas in bus
stops, on buses, in train stations, on newspaper and
pamphlets in order to raise awareness and encourage
Australians to ditch their unhealthy lifestyles and opt
for the healthier version in a very clear, articulate way

20. Suggestions
• However, as effective as this campaign being, it is also
noted that few changes could be made to improve this
health promotion strategy, Swap It, Don’t Stop It. For
example, by organising more events encouraging people to
go outdoors and exercise or taking part in endorsing
marathons or triathlons would have been more effective in
putting the words of ‘Swap It, Don’t Stop It’ into action. This
would have helped the campaign further along by putting
the words into perspective and actually starting to take
action about it. The campaign also could have been used
more effectively by the government by placing posters with
its now famous catchphrase at more bus stops, inside
buses, on the ad boards and on newspapers etc.

21. Suggestions
• This would have been
beneficial to people who could
be unaware of the campaign
as they do not watch TV.
Handing out leaflets or
brochures around, especially
at congested places (i.e. Town
Centres) may help spread the
message further.
• The campaign could also have
organised healthy eating habit
events, get active programmes
and merchandises to add
improvements to the health
promotion strategy.

22. Bibliography
• http://swapit.gov.au/downloads/card-gp-
detailing.pdf (accessed 04/05/12)
• http://swapit.gov.au/downloads/campaign-
fact-sheet.pdf (accessed 04/05/12)
• http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/Under
standing-Diabetes/What-is-Diabetes/
(accessed 08/05/2012)
• http://www.diabetesnsw.com.au/ (accessed
08/05/2012)
• http://www.diabeteswa.com.au/ (accessed
08/05/2012)
• http://www.diabetesvic.org.au/ (accessed
08/05/2012)
• http://www.measureup.gov.au/internet/abh
i/publishing.nsf/content/home (accessed
08/05/2012)
• http://swapit.gov.au/ (accessed 08/05/2012)