Vivons en Forme (VIF®) is a health prevention programme designed for local and regional authorities, helping them implement practical initiatives that improve health and wellbeing for everyone.
The VIF® programme is developed and coordinated by FLVS – Fédérons les Villes pour la Santé, a French non-profit organisation recognised as serving the public interest since 1991.
Through VIF®, FLVS provides local authorities with a proven method, practical tools and concrete solutions to deliver public-health initiatives at local level.
Our dedicated team develops the programme methodology and the actions offered through VIF®. Its work focuses on three main areas:
Designing and carrying out scientific, epidemiological and sociological studies.
Delivering and evaluating health prevention and health-promotion initiatives for local communities.
Providing continuing training for health, education and local professionals working in municipalities and inter-municipal authorities.
The story of Vivons en Forme (VIF®) began in 1992 in the towns of Fleurbaix and Laventie in northern France with the Fleurbaix Laventie Ville Santé study. This pioneering initiative, which notably focused on preventing childhood overweight and obesity, demonstrated the value of acting over the long term on everyday lifestyles by mobilising the local stakeholders who shape children’s and families’ environments.
Building on these findings, the EPODE – Ensemble, Prévenons l’Obésité Des Enfants programme was launched in 2004. Its aim was to take this approach to a larger scale by giving local authorities a structured methodology for mobilising stakeholders and implementing prevention initiatives adapted to local needs.
This approach, based on sustained collective mobilisation at local level, gradually expanded across France and inspired initiatives internationally.
Over time, the programme broadened its scope beyond childhood obesity prevention to embrace a more comprehensive approach to health prevention. EPODE thus became Vivons en Forme (VIF®), a programme that now supports local authorities in creating environments and initiatives that encourage healthier lifestyles for everyone.
The programme has continued to broaden its scope, with a deliberately positive, non-stigmatising and inclusive approach. VIF® – Vivons en Forme now covers health prevention and wellbeing in the broadest sense, including themes such as sleep and mental wellbeing. The FLVS acronym has also evolved to reflect this approach: Fédérons Les Villes pour la Santé — bringing cities together for health.
