The Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy People (HLHP) project is a joint initiative of ILSI, the WHO’s Pan American Health Organization, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The project contributes to the development of sound obesity prevention approaches through diet and physical activity interventions in Latin America. The HLHP’s goals are aligned with those of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and, therefore, represent an important regional effort to implement WHO’s strategy by generating scientific programmatic evidence, guidelines for policy development, and stakeholder involvement.
Through the HLHP initiative, investigators in Brasil, Chile, and México received grants to conduct original research. These studies evaluated promising community-based interventions aimed at preventing obesity and developed local private–public partnerships committed to promoting healthier lifestyles and increasing public awareness about obesity prevention.
In December 2008, ILSI Brazil hosted an international workshop that highlighted the successes of the HLHP initiative. Preliminary results of the research funded through the program were presented. Each showed the impact of community-based interventions on specific health outcomes. In Chile, an educational campaign on “5-a-Day” was demonstrated to improve consumption of fruits and vegetables. A school-based intervention program in Brasil led to reduced inactivity, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and decreased consumption of soft drinks. A similar intervention study in the Mexican school system showed an increase in water intake and a decreased consumption of “unhealthy foods.”
Workshop participants and representatives of the HLHP project leadership reviewed the successes of each of these interventions in context of other existing healthy lifestyle programs in Latin America. Together, they assessed regional needs and available resources to extend these programs to further prevent overweight and obesity. Their deliberations will help shape future activities.
HLHP Publications
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Nahas, M.V.; Barros, M.V.G.; Assis, M.A.A.; Hallal, P.C.; Florindo, A.A.; Konrad, L.M. Methods and participant characteristics of a randomized intervention to promote physical activity and healthy eating among Brazilian high-school students. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2009 Mar;6(2), 153-162. |
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Barros, M.V.G.; Nahas, M.V.; Hallal, P.C.; Barros, S.S.H.; Florindo, A.A.; Farias, Jr. J.C. Effectiveness of a school-based intervention on physical activity for high-school students in Brazil: the Saude na Boa project. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2009 Mar;6(2), 163-169. |
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Farias, Jr. J.C.; Nahas, M.V.; Barros, M.V.G.; Oliveira, E.S.A.; Bem, M.F.L.; Loch, M.R. Health risk behaviors among adolescents in the south of Brazil: prevalence and associated factors. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública / Pan American Journal of Public Health, 2009; 25,344-352. |
Nahas, M.V.; Barros, M.V.G.; Hallal, P.C.; Goldfine, B.D.; Farias, Jr. J.C.; Oliveira, E.S.A.; Lopes, A.S. Atividade física e hábitos alimentares em escolas públicas do ensino médio em diferentes regiões do Brasil: o Projeto Saude na Boa. Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia, 2009;12,270-277.
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Jennings-Aburto N, Nava F, Bonvecchio A, Safdie M, González-Casanova I, Gust T, Rivera J. Physical activity during the school day in public primary schools in Mexico City. Salud Publica Mex. 2009 Mar-Apr;51(2),141-7. |