Vivons en forme implements actions around nutrition, physical activity, screen time, and sleep, primarily targeting children, but also families and seniors, in over 300 cities across France.
The goal is to support municipalities according to their needs, desires, and the profile of their residents. To achieve this, the association uses the nudge technique, or "coup de pouce" in French, which involves small steps and minor changes to profoundly alter behavior.
"For example, everyone knows the concept of eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day,” explains Sophie Mc Gannan. “But that doesn't mean we actually do it. So it's better to go from zero to one, to two, to three, and why not one day reach five, rather than trying to force it all at once and then failing to maintain it over time. So we really try to change behaviors sustainably, step by step.”
"The nudge is also about setting up reminders all around us. If I hear a message at school, then the same message in after-school activities, and again at home, I will eventually change my behavior without even realizing it,” she specifies.
Thus, when an entire ecosystem is mobilized around a child using this methodology, it is possible not only to prevent but also to reduce childhood obesity. And it is never too late; that’s why the association also works with the senior public. "We can always improve our way of living, in terms of nutrition, physical activity, and everything related to well-being, sleep, and screen time; we can always take action,” insists Sophie Mc Gannan.
The key is to be informed and to have fun educational tools, the keys to act. Each year, "Fédérons les villes pour la santé" trains about 5,000 stakeholders, who in turn reach families, nearly 300,000 people annually, through various actions, whether in schools, CCAS, and today, thanks to the program for the first 1,000 days, also with early childhood stakeholders.
"Our strength is to demedicalize and destigmatize these issues,” explains Sophie Mc Gannan. "It's about making people understand that health is accessible to everyone and that we all have the means to improve our own well-being and that of our families. And also to highlight the importance of the people on the ground, who work in leisure centers, social centers, often underestimated, but who are key players for children.”
"We can convey messages in a fun, playful way, and ensure that children themselves become active participants in health and grow with the self-confidence that allows them to pass these messages on in turn,” concludes Sophie Mc Gannan.
