Following themed campaigns around science and reading, YouTube Kids has its sights set on encouraging kids to make healthy choices. The app has partnered with the Gasol Foundation to launch the video playlist Make it Healthy, Make it Fun in honor of today’s World Day of Physical Activity.
The Gasol Foundation—run by NBA stars and brothers Pau and Marc Gasol—has programs in the US and Spain. Its main goals are to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and to advocate for the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
The Make It Healthy, Make It Fun playlist includes 20 videos—available in both English and Spanish—that feature cartoons and include information on fun exercises and nutritional recipes. And throughout the content, the brothers share their personal thoughts about health and wellness.
The initiative comes as childhood obesity rates continue to rise. According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of childhood obesity in the US has more than tripled since the 1970s. Today, more than one in five kids ages six to 19 is considered obese.
Research from the World Health Organization’s Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity found that 42 million infants and young children around the world were overweight or obese in 2013. If current trends continue, the commission predicted that 70 million young children will be overweight or obese by 2025.
Last year, YouTube Kids launched several similar campaigns with playlists designed to spark curiosity in science and innovation (the #TodayILearned campaign) as well as in reading (the #readalong campaign).