Background on Mario Delgado Carrillo and His Role
Mario Delgado Carrillo serves as the Secretary of Public Education (SEP) in Mexico. His current initiatives focus on enhancing the quality of education while prioritizing students’ health and well-being. Under his leadership, the SEP has implemented several programs aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles in schools.
The “Live Healthy, Live Happy” Strategy
Delgado Carrillo highlighted the success of the “Vive saludable, vive feliz” (Live Healthy, Live Happy) strategy, which was launched by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. This initiative aims to ensure nutritious meals in schools and promote healthy lifestyles among students.
Achievements of the Strategy
- 86% of schools have eliminated the sale of junk food in cooperatives.
- Nearly two million people have been trained online on preparing and distributing healthy meals.
- 300,000 manuals have been distributed to those preparing, distributing, and selling food in primary and secondary schools across Mexico’s 32 federal entities.
Importance of Healthy School Environment
Delgado Carrillo emphasized that the strategy is part of a comprehensive educational policy focused on health, ensuring schools are protective environments that promote balanced diets, physical activity, and healthy habits.
Collaboration with Communities
The SEP secretary acknowledged the crucial role of educational communities in implementing this strategy. School directors, teachers, and parents actively participate in monitoring and enforcing the guidelines. Meanwhile, food vendors receive training, coordinated with the Ministry of Health, to offer nutritious menus that replace sugary drinks, fried foods, and sweets with water, fruits, cakes, and salads.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the “Live Healthy, Live Happy” strategy? It’s an initiative by Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education (SEP) under President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s administration, aiming to ensure nutritious meals in schools and promote healthy lifestyles.
- What percentage of schools have eliminated junk food sales? 86% of schools have successfully removed the sale of unhealthy foods from their cooperatives.
- How many people have been trained in preparing and distributing healthy meals? Nearly two million individuals have participated in online training programs focused on preparing and distributing nutritious meals.
- What is the significance of this strategy in the broader educational context? The “Live Healthy, Live Happy” strategy is part of a comprehensive educational policy prioritizing health, ensuring schools are protective environments that promote balanced diets, physical activity, and healthy habits.
Moving Forward
With the “Live Healthy, Live Happy” strategy, Mexico is progressing towards cultivating a food culture that extends beyond classrooms and reaches families and communities, with the ultimate goal of reducing childhood obesity rates.
