PARTNERSHIP WITH SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHES IN AMERICASThe new season of the popular television series Plaza Sésamo premiered in October with something special: five Colombia-produced film segments that encouraged Spanish-speaking children in the Americas to adopt healthy habits for happier and longer lives. The film segments are the fruit of a three-year partnership between the World Heart Federation and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Plaza Sésamo. “Obese or overweight children tend to grow up to become obese or overweight adults,” said World Heart Federation Chief Executive Officer Janet Voûte. “The partnership with Sesame Workshop gives us a chance to reach children, and their families, with beneficial messages about healthy diets and physical activity that they could retain and employ for their entire lives to forestall cardiovascular disease in adulthood.” Children need attentionStudies show that childhood obesity or overweight – an increasingly common phenomenon in countries like Colombia – is a key predictor of future cardiovascular disease. The partnership seeks to harness the tremendous popularity of the television programme to model easy ways for children to lead healthier lives. The films show children engaging in a variety of fun and heart-healthy activities including folk dancing, vegetable gardening, nutritious breakfasting and choosing fruits and vegetables at an outdoor market. In addition, the World Heart Federation and Plaza Sésamo will be spreading their healthy messages through vibrant print and multi-media materials that will be made available to caregivers and children in classrooms, clinics and community centers. Focus on ColombiaAlthough Plaza Sésamo has been a staple in Colombia for decades, most of the show’s cultural references are from Mexico and the United States. The new film segments offer a window on the rich diversity of Latin America. Health-related messages in a Colombian context are on strong display – not just for Colombians but for Spanish-speakers throughout the Americas. Complementary health education projectComplementing its work with Sesame Workshop, the World Heart Federation also plans to create a regional youth health network for Latin America through its sponsorship of the first Global Youth Meeting on Health to be held 14 to 19 November in New Delhi, India. The World Heart Federation is sponsoring youth delegates and adult chaperons from Colombia, Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay. In India, youth delegates from 40 countries will gather to learn about such topics as nutrition, physical activity, avoidance of tobacco and other addictive substances and stress management. The expectation is that the youths would return to their home countries to become active advocates for health. Each of the four Latin American delegations will comprise four or five youths and the adult chaperon/facilitator. Upon their return, the delegations will collaborate on the establishment of a regional health promotion network for Latin America. The World Heart Federation’s partnership with Sesame Workshop and its sponsorship of the Global Youth Meeting on Health are made possible through the generosity of Julio Mario and Beatriz Santo Domingo.
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