Hidden sugars, hidden risks

Abstract

Hidden Sugars, Hidden Risks is the first health communications campaign in Singapore that aims to educate young adults aged 18 to 24 on the presence of hidden sugars in packaged food products. It is a public will campaign that encourages individuals to check the nutritional panels and ingredients lists in packaged food products for hidden sugars. Hidden Sugars, Hidden Risks was executed by four final year undergraduates from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University. Singaporeans are increasingly susceptible to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, which are commonly associated with the overconsumption of sugar. Coupled with the low literacy rates surrounding packaged food labels, the team recognised a need to educate the target audience about hidden sugars and ways to lower their sugar intake. To address this issue, Hidden Sugars, Hidden Risks targeted university undergraduates to increase their understanding of hidden sugars and provide guidance on how to read packaged food labels. The campaign’s main highlight was the use of guerrilla tactics such as a pop-up supermarket and interactive mascot during campus outreach events. The guerrilla marketing allowed the team to capture the target audience’s attention effectively and encourage them to engage in the campaign’s recommended behaviour immediately. Post-campaign survey findings also revealed significant results on the target audience’s knowledge of hidden sugars and positive attitudes towards recommended behaviour. This hence validates the campaign’s direction and provides opportunities for future continuation of Hidden Sugars, Hidden Risks’ efforts.