Discovery Familia launches health and wellness campaign

Discovery Familia, the Hispanic community arm of Discovery Channel, announced Feb. 5 the launch of its Camino al Bienestar campaign, which is part of a continued commitment to Hispanic women and their families. Camino al Bienestar is a year-round initiative that will offer resources and advice about a variety of health and well-being topics, including prevention, alternative medicine, nutrition and physical fitness.

Each month, Camino al Bienestar will target a specific health topic such as prenatal care, skin care, breast cancer, men’s health, fertility and mental health. Each topic will be showcased in Discovery Familia programming and in informative shorts hosted by Dr. Selene Velasco, as well as a specially created microsite.

For the month of February, the campaign will focus on heart disease, which continues to affect disproportionate numbers of Hispanic women. During American Heart Month, the network is again joining forces with The Heart Truth.

In addition to Dr. Selene’s shorts, the special campaign programming includes Comidas Curativas, which is a series hosted by diet and nutrition experts about the powers of certain foods to cure health problem. Comidas Curativas airs on Saturdays at 10 p.m. on Discovery Familia. For more information about the Camino al Bienestar campaign, please visit Camino alBienestar or Facebook.

Comidas Curativas se transmite todos los sábados a las 10 p.m., el Discovery Familia. Para obtener más información sobre el Camino al Bienestar campaña, por favor visite Camino al Bienestar o Facebook.

Discovery Familia launches campaign for American Diabetes Month

Diabetes affects approximately 26 million Americans, and among those diagnosed with the disease are Hispanic adults. With approximately 11.8 percent of Hispanic adults diagnosed with diabetes, the disease is growing rapidly throughout Hispanic communities across the United States.

November is American Diabetes Month and to support awareness of the disease, Discovery Familia is launching a campaign in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) with the goal of providing awareness to the Hispanic community about this rapidly growing disease. The initiative will include special programming, a series of spots and infographics developed specifically to provide information on this timely topic.

Presented by Dr. Selene Velasco, Discovery Familia's health expert, the spots will air in November during the network's evening programming. They will offer key information on the risk factors of type 2 diabetes, its symptoms, as well as the means for its prevention. Dr. Velasco shares, “It is estimated that Hispanics are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes”. To combat the ever-rising numbers of those diagnosed with the disease, Discovery Familia is dedicated to educating all about prevention and care.

As part of this collaborative project, Discovery Familia is presenting “Cara a cara con la obesidad,” a series that analyzes the global obesity epidemic and its consequences. In it, diabetes is studied by following four overweight families who travel to different parts of the world where the levels of obesity are extremely high. The series introduces cases including ones in which people cannot be weighed on a regular scale, shows some who run the risk of inheriting diabetes because of family histories, spotlights others who are addicted to junk food, and reveals the struggles of those who weigh three times their healthy weight. “Cara a cara con la obesidad” airs Saturday at 10 p.m. on Discovery Familia.

Discovery Familia is also offers statistics, resources and information specific to the topic of type 2 diabetes. This valuable insight includes symptoms of and treatment for diabetes, as well as practical advice on nutrition and physical activities through infographics. Another collaborative resource for those already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is the ADA’s free program, “Living with Type 2 Diabetes” that offers education about proper care and healthier living.

Animated educational series arrives at Discovery Familia

Discovery Familia announced Tuesday, Aug. 13 the arrival of a special group of creatures who are on a mission to bring the wonders of math to young children. In the new series, “Matemonstruos,” Max, Lily and Gú demonstrate that math is everywhere and can be used to solve any problem.

Each episode of “Matemonstruos” will help kids to explore counting, calculating, measuring and identifying geometric shapes. The new animated series brings Discovery Familia to join Discovery Communications in the “Connect the Dots” initiative. The initiative aims to promote emphasis on the importance of educational endeavors in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and careers in these fields.

In addition to the new animated series, “Matemonstruos,” Discovery Familia is introducing specific back-to-school programming that is geared to a preschooler’s level of curriculum. Artzooka!, Mister Maker and Word World, in conjunction with informative shorts, “Back to School with Jeannette Torres” focus on preschool education. The special back-to-school programming will air for two weeks at 10 a.m. beginning Aug. 19 and “Matemonstruos” will air Monday-Friday at 5 p.m. beginning on Aug. 26 on the Discovery Familia channel.