National Movement "I’m living healthy too!" – SETS: For 4 years, an alliance dedicated to childhood obesity prevention in Romania

 

 

The fourth annual edition of the national movement "I’m living healthy too!" - SETS initiated by PRAIS Foundation with its partners in March 2011 ended with a series of award ceremony of the most active SETS – “Moving & Fun” Clubs taking place in Bucharest (for more infor see the Annex), Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, Roman and Otopeni.

 

SETS has become a model of good practice in the EPODE International Network¹ – EIN, the largest global network for obesity prevention, which today brings together 42 programs with similar methodologies from 29 countries. According to EIN experts, recently reunited at the EPODE Annual Obesity Forum in Toronto, Canada, important progress in this area are is still expected, an important step being the worldwide recognition of obesity as a major problem, with important health consequences.

 

Since its launch until now, SETS engaged in the 5 cities where it is present over 116,340 primary school students, 3,000 teachers and 200,000 parents, 2 million - the general public / year. In addition to direct interventions in schools, SETS national movement developed www.sets.ro - the public information portal dedicated to parents and children, and a social media platform (containing pages and accounts SETS Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram) totaling over 34,000 friends until present.

 

"Together with our institutional and private partners, the SETS Scientific Council, we’ve created during these 4 years a powerful national alliance by which we align to  the WHO global action plan for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, adopted in 2013 to the WHO Global Health Summit in Geneva, which has the target of no increase in prevalence of obesity between 2010 and 2025². Preventing childhood obesity is essential for a healthy life in adulthood and to reverse its prevalence. Today Public Private partnership is an important pillar everywhere in the world. We promote a new type of dialogue and cooperation through action that leads to good results, together! Not separately! " said Silvia Bucur, President of PRAIS Foundation.

 

Margaret Chan, WHO’s Director-General, acknowledged in her opening remarks at the second meeting of the high-level Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity on Jan 13, 2015, that “ending childhood obesity is one of the most complex health challenges facing the international community during this century” ³.

 

 

According to the Global Burden of Disease study published in May 2014, 37% of men and 38% of women have an index of 25 kg / m² or higher, which represents an increase of body mass of 28% in adults and 47% in children, compared to 1980⁴. An estimated 2.1 billion people are overweight globally.⁵  And while some developed countries have seen an apparent slowing of the rise in obesity prevalence since 2006, no country has reported signifi cant decreases for three decades.⁶

 

SETS national movement is based on EPODE methodologies, recognized by DG Sanco. In the four years of implementation, a record number of over 13,816 students created and enrolled voluntarily into the 344 SETS Clubs, carrying 6,237 sport and physical activities, essential for them in combination with their and their parents information on the benefits of a balanced diet hydration, sleep, hygiene, harmony in the family, in a holistic approach: mind, body, spirit. 

 

SETS movement has 23 public - private partners. The implementation of SETS movement was made possible due to the generous support provided by its Founding Members and Private Partners: Romalimenta Federation via 5 member companies: Coca-Cola, MondelÄ�z, Nestlé, together with Pepsico, Unilever, and also Carrefour.

 

About PRAIS Foundation

PRAIS Foundation was created in 2002 by PRAIS Corporate Communications. In its national projects, it supports 4 main causes: access to resources, education and personal development, a sustainable economy based on innovation, competitiveness and ethics, and the promotion of healthy lifestyle & care for the environment.

 

Renowned localiy and internationally, PRAIS Foundation has been successfully involved for 13 years in national educational projects in the areas of promoting healthy nutrition; food safety; environment protection; promoting young talents. The programs have involved millions of students, families, teachers, the general public and created alliances of values among public and private, opinion leaders, local and international specialists, gathered together to serve the global social causes dedicated to the future generations.

 

 

References:

¹EPODE International Network was designated by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers of the European Commission as „Best Health Promotion European project”, while the physical education interventions within the „I’m living healthy too!” – SETS movement was appraised as a good practice example.

²WHO.Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2013. http://apps. who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/94384/1/9789241506236_eng.pdf?ua=1(accessed Jan 26, 2015). ³Chan M. WHO Director-General addresses childhood obesity commission. Jan 13, 2015. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2015. http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2015/ending-childhood-obesity/en/ (accessed Jan 26, 2015).

⁴Ng M, Fleming T, Robinson M, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet 2014; 384: 766–81.

⁵Idem

⁶Rethinking and reframing obesity, Lancet, February 19, 2015

 

 

Useful links:
www.sets.ro
www.facebook.com/miscareaSETS
www.youtube.com/user/MiscareaSETS
www.praisfoundation.com

 

  

 

ANNEXA

  

Bucharest SETS Clubs 2015 Final Top :

 

First Prize Sector 1 – Clubul SPORT IS FUN, Liceul Teoretic Scoala Mea.

• Coodonator: Mariana Pirpiliu.

Activities: 41
Members: 110

 

• First Prize Sector 2: Clubul SPORTIS,  Scoala Gimnaziala nr. 62.

Coordinator: Camelia Ilinca.

Activities: 102
Members: 317

 

• First Prize Sector 3: Clubul CAMPIONII M, Scoala Gimnaziala Shanghai.
• Coordinator: Eugenia Ilinca.
  Activities: 30
  Members: 490

 

• First Prize Sector 4, ex-equo: Clubul OZONE, Scoala Gimnaziala nr. 99.

Coordinators: Luciana Pascu & Daniela Dumitrescu.
Activities: 13
Members: 191

 

• First Prize  Sector 4, ex-equo: Clubul 1,2...9 FACEM MISCARE, Scoala Gimnaziala nr. 129.

Coordinator: Florina Olteanu.
Activities: 20
Members: 393

 

• First Prize Sector 5: Clubul COCOÅ�EII VOINICEI, Scoala Gimnaziala Mircea Sântimbreanu.

Coordinator: Cristina Neagu.
Activities: 36
Members: 464

 

• First Prize Sector 6: Clubul SPORTIVII ACTIVI - SCOALA NR 174, Scoala Gimnaziala Constantin Brâncusi.

Coordinators: Cornelia Bataus & Daniela Tuicu.

Activities: 97
Members: 419