The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department in cooperation with the Santa Barbara Channels television station is producing a new monthly TV series titled “Healthy for Life.”
The half‐hour show explores local health issues with an emphasis on prevention. The first show will examine the leading causes of premature death in Santa Barbara County, and offer guidelines for preventing premature death.
“Healthy for Life” features local health professionals and residents discussing critical health issues in a lively, engaging format. Comparable shows are being produced in Spanish and English, with county health education director Dr. Scott McCann and project leader Rose Davis hosting the English-language shows, and county health educators Fidel Villanueva and Susie Herrera hosting the Spanish-language shows.
“Television is a great medium for reaching a wide audience with important health information. And, we’re trying to make health education fun and interesting,” McCann said. “For example, the first show includes a quiz show, man‐on‐the‐street interviews, a Top 10 list of health behaviors, and dancing.”
Future shows will address the H1N1 flu virus, cancer prevention, responsible pet ownership and other current health topics.
The Spanish-language show, “Una Vida Saludable,” will premiere at 9:30 a.m. Monday on Cox cable channel 17. The English-language “Healthy for Life” will first air at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Both shows will be repeated throughout the week. Click here for other show times.
The program also will be broadcast on county government Cox channel 20, and Comcast channel 23 in Lompoc and Santa Maria, and will be available through the health department Web site.
— Michele Mickiewicz is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.