Since 2024, the European “Good Move” campaign has been encouraging young adults to eat more fruit and vegetables and get more exercise. To mark European Week of Sport — from 23 to 30 September — a round-table discussion bringing together researchers and practitioners has reviewed its three years of activity. Three main lessons have emerged: focus on the trio of a healthy diet, exercise and sleep; provide information without making young people feel guilty; and capitalise on the role of coaches and mentors of young athletes.
A better diet and more exercise may sound simplistic, but they are central to a healthy lifestyle. Despite a clear scientific consensus, particularly regarding the prevention of many chronic diseases, more than 70% of the French population between 18 and 34 years old consume very little fruit and vegetables (Nutrimétrie, 2024) and more than 30% do not engage in any physical activity (Nikitara et al., 2021).
Millions of people reached over the 3-year period
These findings – shared across Europe –led to the launch of the Good Move campaign, initiated in France, Poland and Spain in 2024 with the aim of enabling young people to take charge of their own health, at their own pace and in a supportive environment. To this end, Good Move implemented a range of initiatives, including sports events, campaigns on social media and training of coaches. In all:
Nearly 12,000 followers on TikTok
Over 30 events offering the chance to meet tens of thousands of people
A campaign visible to millions of people
To mark the European Week of Sport — from 23 to 30 September — a round-table discussion brought together experts from the three countries involved in the programme to take stock of the actions carried out and draw key lessons from them, with a view to making a difference on the ground in terms of eating more healthily and being more active.
A healthy diet, exercise and sleep: the essential trio
Key takeaway: diet, exercise and sleep are interrelated and should be addressed together.
Knowing this, Good Move opted for a holistic approach right from the start of the campaign. In order to get these messages across to young adults as effectively as possible, the campaign also adopted a multi-channel approach, enabling it to reach young people in different and complementary ways depending on their degree of motivation to change their lifestyle.
Providing information without making people feel guilty, to support informed health choices
One of the key challenges for the Good Move campaign was to get its messages heard in a saturated information landscape. A wealth of content, fitness influencers of all kinds, a plethora of health apps, etc. Young adults today are inundated with nutritional information, much of which is contradictory.
From the outset, Good Move took the opposite approach to saturation, with messages that were carefully selected, sourced and disseminated. In France, around 20 partnerships were set up based on a number of principles:
- Prioritise peer-to-peer communication by working with influencers closely connected to the target audience;
- Involve experts and influencers in content creation to help them develop their skills;
- Draw on figures who are already recognised and trusted by young people, such as dietitians, coaches and athletes.
The importance of training sport coaches
Finally, these three years of initiatives have helped to rally sports coaches, who act as true ambassadors for healthy lifestyles among young people. These professionals can act as a conduit for prevention messages. This issue is of paramount importance for young athletes, for whom nutrition is viewed primarily in terms of immediate performance and rarely as part of a holistic approach to everyday health.
In partnership with the French Athletics Federation (FFA), Good Move therefore developed three e-learning courses designed for coaches and trainers. The aim is to provide them with a solid scientific foundation so that they can discuss balanced nutrition — and, more broadly, a healthy lifestyle — with young athletes. The third module, developed in 2026 with David Thivel, was dedicated to “A healthy diet, exercise and sleep: the winning trio”.
Although these three years have helped to raise awareness and motivate young Europeans, lasting behavioural change takes time. To support long-term changes in behaviour, the efforts undertaken since 2024 therefore need to be maintained in the future.
