Does health promotion have a lasting and positive effect on people?With mounting pressure to reduce costs to the NHS and increasing scepticism of the so-called nanny state, health promotion initiatives are increasingly being criticised as costly and ineffective, with many arguing that health inequalities can only be reduced through radical political and economic change.This book examines the methods used to evaluate the value of health promotion projects and determines whether attempts to change people s lifestyles have proved successful. Taking into account the practical and ethical issues involved in deciding the appropriate approach to take in efforts to reduce health inequalities, the book assesses what might be the best path forward for health promotion.