"The 3 Fives"

The 3 Fives concept was jointly developed by the World Health Organization’s Departments of Food Safety and Zoonoses, Nutrition for Health and Development and Health Promotion.  It was initially tailor-made for major sporting events because the particular combination of food safety, nutrition and physical activity has a special resonance in combination with athletes.  However, it also has a general appeal because it works for all people all over the world.  The 3 Fives concept was launched in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics to raise awareness on food safety, nutrition and physical activity benefits among the population of Beijing to promote healthy lifestyles during the Olympic Games.   It is recognized that global sporting events have the potential to reach mega-populations.

 

So what exactly are the 3 Fives?

Five Keys to Safer Food

1.      Keep Clean

2.      Separate raw and cooked

3.      Cook thoroughly

4.      Keep food at safe temperatures

5.      Use safe water and raw materials

 

Five Keys to a Healthy Diet

1.      Give your baby only breast mild for the first 6 months of life

2.      Eat a variety of foods

3.      Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits

4.      Eat moderate amounts of fats and oils

5.      Eat less salt and sugars

 

Five Keys to Appropriate Physical Activity

1.      If you are not physically active, it’s not too late to start regular physical activity and reduce sedentary activities.

2.      Be physically active every day in as many was as you can.

3.      Do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on 5 or more days each week.

4.      If you can, enjoy some regular vigorous-intensity physical activity for extra health and fitness benefits.

5.      School-aged young people should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity each day.

 
Under each specific category, there were also specific suggestions on how to best accomplish each task or behavior.  For example, under being physically active every day in as many ways as you can, suggestions were to walk to local shops, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and getting off the bus early and walking the rest of the way.  These key behaviors were chosen because they are universally relatable and are important for health no matter a person’s age or where they live in the world.

There were no foodborne disease outbreaks in the 2008 Olympics, which suggest that food safety management was successful.  WHO staff took the opportunity during the Beijing Olympics to retrieve reactions and comments from specactors, athletes and their coaches.  The 3 Fives concept and messages was generally extremely well perceived as being an excellent tool to encourage and promote healthy behaviors.  Because of the success in the 2008 Olympics, the 3 Fives concept was also implemented in the 2010 FIFA World Cup which was hosted in South Africa.  Because of the success with this program in sporting events, the WHO is now considering partnerships to promote these same messages in other contexts such as school settings.  It will be interesting to follow this program to see the impact it may have on improving these health behaviors globally. 
 
http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions_PDFfiles/Medical_commission/The_Health_Legacy_of_the_2008_Beijing_Olympic_Games.pdf
 
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/consumer/3Fives_flyer.pdf

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/consumer/3_fives_Beijing/en/index.html