Lofty collaboration to promote healthy habits in schools
One out of three young children are overweight or obese, a trend which has grown in recent years. Given the situation, the current school year has seen the introduction of the SISME project by the foundation set up by the former basketball player Pau Gasol. The project has started operating at 21 city schools, promoting health and sustainable habits.
The project at the schools fosters healthy habits linked to physical activity and sport, healthy eating, sleep and emotional welfare. The idea is to generate a knock-on effect among children between the ages of 6 and 12, their families and teaching staff at schools, benefitting the entire education community, particularly in underprivileged neighbourhoods.
More initiatives to promote healthy habits
In parallel to the project with the Gasol Foundation, there is also close collaboration with the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) to boost action to prevent child obesity in the city. One example here is the project “Menjadors escolars més sans i sostenibles”, a programme targeting school dining-rooms and which 45 city schools have taken part in this year.
These two initiatives come in addition to similar programmes by the ASPB around city schools, across all school years, from infant education through to the end of secondary education: “1, 2, 3, emoció”, “Ens fem grans”, “Bon dia, somriu”, “Creixem sans”, “Creixem més sans” and “Canvis”.
All these initiatives are in line with the goals set by Barcelona as the World Sustainable Food Capital 2021. These include the promotion of healthy diets which are sustainable and accessible to all and the promotion of local organic produce and short distribution circuits, also as a way of generating specific economic opportunities within the framework of the social and solidarity economy.
