NEW HEART HEALTH ANIMATIONS FOR PLAZA SESAMOWhen is a lollipop not a lollipop? When it’s really a carrot in disguise! In the animation “Super Zana y Sus Amigos” (Super Carrot and Friends), a young boy gains weight under the hypnotic influence of a lollipop. He returns to his usual, healthy self only after the carrot and his friends disguise themselves as lollipops to help break the spell. The film segment is based on the ideas of 10 Colombian children, aged 7-12, who attended an animation workshop in Cali. Brainstorming, drawing story boards, choosing characters, and producing sound effects themselves, the children were involved in all stages of production. Two more animations were produced by children in a similar workshop held in Bogotá. All three animations will reach Spanish-speaking children in the Americas when they air within the beloved children’s programme Plaza Sésamo in the season starting in April 2008. Partnership helping children lead healthy livesThe children's animations are the newest in a series of segments Sesame Workshop produced in Colombia as part of a three-year partnership with the World Heart Federation. The films are part of an initiative entitled Plaza Sésamo: Healthy Habits for Life, which seeks to harness the power and popularity of Plaza Sésamo to instil simple and fun heart-healthy habits that young viewers can practise forever. Televised materials will be complemented by vibrant print materials distributed to children and their caregivers in Colombia. Obesity and overweight are a growing problem in Latin America, as in other regions undergoing rapid nutritional transition, and the Healthy Habits for Life initiative's curriculum focuses on healthy diet and physical activity. The curriculum was developed in a workshop that included local advisors, the World Heart Federation, and representatives from the Plaza Sésamo team.
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