by Nick Jacobs

How do you stop a speeding freight train? Short of placing a tanker truck on the railroad crossing, the only thing that will work is education. That is the challenge that public health is facing world wide.

It used to be, twenty years ago, that, if you wanted someone to know about something, they had to be exposed to a specific piece of information about seven times from multiple sources.

No one has provided me with the updated version of this statistic, but several of my marketing friends have indicated that, between the hundreds of cable stations, the Internet, numerous new media opportunities like podcasts, wikis the target has moved. The new estimate is that an individual must be exposed to the topic at least 21 times. If it is going to sink in with the masses, they need to be exposed to a piece of information over 20 times.

Of course that piece of information is not going to apply to people who are looking specifically for the information, but if you are attempting to change the habits of people, if you are hoping to change behavior, to improve life, to move civilization forward, then 20+ times is probably accurate.

Some of my younger friends are convinced that vegetables and fruits can easily be replaced by gummy bears and chocolate. They love cookie dough, white bread and pasta and nacho chips for dinner with extra cheese. Of course, they are blessed with good teeth, strong bones and YOUTH. When, however, the attributes of fruits and vegetables are touted, the passion of indestructible youth takes over.

So, what's the answer? Twenty plus times? Tell them twenty plus times in twenty different ways. You have to love the commercial where the man orders his meal at the drive up window and deletes the vegetables, the employee reaches into his car window and smacks him on the forehead. Get the message?

Maybe the answer is to employ the Ad Council? White bread is bad. Broccoli is great.

Or maybe we should just wait until they are all over weight, diabetic and having dental implants . . . Oops, too late.