The May sun is the engine of Italians’ desire to go on a diet to get ready for the holidays or even just for the weekend at the beach. And – for once – what may seem like a futile seasonal trend goes perfectly with a much more ambitious goal: to stay healthy. Especially after – due to the pandemic – almost 23 million Italians have gained weight: a large number of adults and children who risk cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, tumors and diabetes. And it is precisely with the aim of promoting correct eating habits that the first edition of the Festival of the 5 colors starts, scheduled from 18 to 22 May in Tropea, in Calabria, conceived by the Pancrazio Association, formed by young students of medicine, pharmacy and biology to give life to initiatives in the field of health and well-being.
Happiness? You will not believe it but it also passes by the table
by Giuseppe del Bello
01 Maggio 2022
How much do the Italians weigh
Italy is one of the European countries with the highest rate of childhood obesity. According to the latest report of ‘OKkio alla Salute’ of the Ministry of Health, out of a sample of 50 thousand third grade children, 20% are overweight and 9% are obese. Indeed, one third of the children in the 6-9 year-old age group are obese or overweight, for a total of about 100 thousand, with a prevalence of males over females.
Childhood obesity in Italy: the national observatory is born
by Dario Rubino
02 Maggio 2022
“The Festival of the 5 colors was born from the need to resume paying attention to our lifestyle, starting with what we eat – he explains Giuseppe Morino, pediatrician and dietician at the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome and scientific coordinator of the event. Today, one in 10 adults is obese and the pandemic has accentuated the problem in both adults and children, who have remained indoors and have devoted more time to food, often making unhealthy choices. For this reason today it is necessary to work on the correct lifestyles, from childhood. Eating well, playing sports and paying attention to your body means primary prevention “.
Wellness in color
Nino Frassica, Luca Ward, Simone Perrotta and Claudio Ranieri: these are just some of the characters who will animate the first edition of the festival: five days to involve adults and children and talk about proper nutrition and the Mediterranean diet, health and prevention.
“Red, green, white, orange and purple are the five colors of well-being – he explains Maria Teresa Carpino, vice president of Associazione Pancrazio and creator of the Festival. These are the shades related to fruit and vegetables, very important elements for a healthy diet. Number five will be the main theme of the Festival: the idea was born thanks to ‘Dammi il 5’, a national food education project dedicated to children, which started four years ago. Since then we have been touring schools teaching what ‘eating well’ means, with the help of five superheroes who allow the little ones to get passionate about the subject “.
How to build our health? We pay attention to what we eat and what we do: 12 rules to follow
by Luigi Fontana
February 16, 2022
The initiatives of the Festival
During the five days there will be many activities with children, from workshops for primary schools to telling their themed stories. And then there will be meetings with doctors and nutritionists and fun with the great names of the Italian show business, but always with the aim of underlining the importance of following correct lifestyles for the prevention of cancer and metabolic pathologies.
The personalities who have most distinguished themselves in their sector, such as Piero Angela and Walter Willett, will be rewarded, strolling at sunset to discover the beauties of the city, attending dance and theater shows, sports tournaments and much more. It will be possible to follow the event from any part of Italy: the meetings will in fact be broadcast in live streaming on the festivaldei5colori.it website and told through the social profiles Facebook and Instagram.