Table 2.

Ten messages aimed at preventing weight gain ¹ in mid-age

Target behaviour	Message wording
1. Improve diet quality, limit non-fibre sources [37,39,40]	Aim to eat two serves of fruit every day with no more than one serve in the form of juice.
2. Improve diet quality [37,40]	Aim to eat at least five serves of vegetables every day
3. Improve diet quality [37,40]	Aim to eat one to one-and-a-half serves of meat or meat alternatives every day
4. Improve diet quality [37,40]	Aim to eat two to three serves of dairy every day
5. Increase dietary fibre [39]	Aim to eat wholegrain varieties of breads and cereals.
6. Decrease energy intake [37,40]	Limit your intake of extra foods, which are high in fat and sugar, to two serves per day or less
7. Decrease energy intake [38]	Aim to cut down on the number of meals eaten outside the home each week
8. Meet national physical activity recommendations [30]	Aim to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes, five days per week or 150 minutes total per week.
9. Decrease sedentary activity [23]	Aim to sit for less than three hours per day
10. Increase physical activity [31]	Aim to take at least 10,000 steps per day

¹The messages for the overweight women were aimed at weight loss and differed in the following way: 1.5 serves per day or less’ Message 8: read '250 minutes’ [34].