Is education meaningless?

A few months ago I wrote about the Pope's comments concerning Aids and condom usage. In it I talked about how the prevalent belief that education and condom availability was the answer to stemming the spread of AIDS simply wasn't working. As evidence for this I pointed to a study conducted in Washington D.C. that showed that despite these two hallmarks of modernist AIDS prevention, AIDS infection rates were well above epidemic levels amongst many segments of Washington's population.

Well another piece of evidence has come out that once again proves the old maxim, that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

A recent study has shown that despite the efforts of educational programs people in America are on average in poorer health today than they were 18 years ago when the focus on healthy lifestyle education began.

From the BBC:

During those 18 years, the percentage of adults aged 40-74 years with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 rose from 28% to 36%.

The number of people exercising three times a week or more fell from 53% to 43%, while the number of people eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day fell by nearly 40%.

At the same time, smoking levels remained the same and moderate drinking slightly increased.

Overall, researchers found, the number of people adhering to all five "healthy habits" - including maintaining a healthy weight and stopping smoking - decreased from 15% to 8%.

Of course it should come as no surprise to anyone that the answer to this problem is, wait for it, more education.

"Together we can help Americans understand the severity of obesity, the efforts being made to address it, and how to maintain a healthy weight and live a healthy lifestyle."

Isn't this what you've been doing for the past 18 years to no effect?

Intellectual awareness is most often not enough of a motivational factor. Just think about how many times in your own life you've been aware that an action or habit is hardly beneficial yet continued in it. You knew intellectually that what you were doing wasn't for the best but we, you and I, still do it.

I of course am the last one that can speak to what is the most effective motivational lever.