If you are fit, you win! 2008

The incorrect food habits and the physical activity deficiency are often the principal causes of the main avoidable diseases and the untimely deaths in the developed countries.

New researches show that Modena is one of the provinces where there is a greater children’s obesity and over weight on regional level: the 17 % of Modena 6 years old children are overweight and the 11,5% of them is obese, and at the age of 9 the over weight and obesity predominance appears to be respectively of the 23 % and of the 9 %.

It is possible to modify the daily habits in order to be fit and to avoid obesity and other pathologies since childhood!

In 2008, Modena Municipality District 1, in collaboration with the Councillorship of Health Policy and within the Modena Municipality Health Plan’s Childhood and Adolescence Health program, continues its commitment to the food and physical education and the children’s obesity prevention subjects.The objective is to prevent and decrease the children’s obesity in Modena. In particular, this project called “If you are fit, you win!” involves 745 girls and boys from the elementary schools of Modena 6° Teaching District and their families.

VITAMAN (“vita” in Italian means “life”) is the hero of our campaign and the leading character in the comic book that has been given to the students.

As a preamble of the project, in 2007 the District 1 primary schools pupils and their families have taken part in a feeding habits and lifestyle research, by means of the questionnaires distributed by the hero Vitaman. 30 classes have agreed to the questionnaires filling in ( about the 80 % of the total). 467 pupils have filled in the questionnaires 247 girls and 211 boys have filled in the questionnaires together with their parents, 141 of whom have not an Italian nationality.

The results show that while a substantial part of the population practises a healthy lifestyle, there is still a significant percentage of families who should be made aware of some important messages: more physical activity, less TV, less snacks and more fruit and vegetables.

The project consists of 4 phases from February to June 2008

1) The communication campaign

VitaMan has handed out to the pupils his kit (an exercise book with comics, a bookmark and a folder), reminding that “ we are also what we eat” and how nice is to play outdoor instead of sitting in front of the TV. In VITAMAN’s comic book there were suggestions about healthy food habits and instructions to realize a graphic project.

Furthermore a special game has been proposed to the children: at school all the pupils had to record on a calendar the number of the right food and lifestyle suggestions that they had followed everyday.

The Vitaman’s comic cover

Then the classes have measured themselves in the “All around the world fruit and vegetables” competition.

2) Snack-time with fruit at schoolCir Food, a catering company, has handed out a fresh and in season fruit snack to the schools in a fixed day of the week for several months. The families have been involved by asking not to give the children the snack from home.

3) Classes’ visit to the Albinelli covered marketThe classes have been accompanied to visit the market and to learn about season fruit and vegetables.

4) It’s time to move up!Walking tours have been promoted to discover the places of the neighborhood where the children can play outdoor games.

Some examples of suggestions directed to the children and their families

• why not bring some good and in season fruit to school? It is inexpensive, easy to prepare by the families, rich in vitamins and low-fat. The perfect snack for girls and boys!

•Less packaged sweet snacks and less hypercaloric food and drinks, more fruit and vegetables consumption! A fruit snack is nourishing, healthy, inexpensive and fast to prepare! Let’s bring a fruit snack to school everyday

• less TV and more outdoor physical activity is one of the healthy habits to prevent or decrease obesity, to be in good health and make many new friends!

• going to schools on foot or cycling, with friends or with parents, is a daily healthy habit in order to be fit!

The final poster in English