Communication’s role in overcoming challenges for obesity prevention partnerships

With obesity rates growing worldwide calls have increased to coordinate efforts in nationwide partnership models. Yet, the necessity for professional partnerships has brought into sharper focus a problem in jointly communicating obesity and its prevention. Following a social representation framework and using episodic interviewing of members from different professions directly or indirectly involved in obesity prevention, this report critically analysed concepts and communicative approaches held by those professional areas. Key findings included different perspectives about communication orientations, namely distribution of responsibility, control and communication goals. This suggests that the profession-specific world-views prevented respondents from communicating with members from other professions. We conclude that health communication experts bring unique skills to bring together professional teams to not only develop a common language and conceptual framework but also facilitate a sense of inclusion and personal accomplishment.