One goal of public health campaigns is to reduce health inequalities by encouraging responsible and prudent health choices among groups that exhibit higher rates of disease, especially among groups with low socio-economic status (SES).1 In Australia, examples include Queensland Health’s ‘Deadly Choices’ campaign, which encourages members of the indigenous community to adopt healthy practices,2 as well as the national ‘Quit Now’ campaign to reduce smoking.3 In the United States, there is the Centre for Disease Control’s ‘Verb’ campaign to encourage exercise and activity in at-risk and obese youth.4 At the heart of these campaigns is a conception of the person as an autonomous being who is ultimately responsible for the decisions that impact his or her health.