Kids’ Show Makes Spinach Cool

LazyTown Magnus Scheving, better known as Sportacus, slyly teaches kids that veggies are good and fit is cool

HIP HERO If your kids are suddenly getting active and eating their veggies, you may have a man from Iceland to thank. Adults know him as Magnus Scheving, 43, the creator of the hit show LazyTown. Kids know him as Sportacus, the dynamic star of the show who for four years has been stealthily convincing under-11s around the world that being healthy is fun.

LazyTown–which has been sold to more than 110 countries–revolves around the residents of the eponymous town, who are constantly being tempted with junk food and idle ideas by slothful villain Robbie Rotten. In each episode, Scheving, a former aerobics champion, somersaults to the rescue and outwits the villain with acrobatics and “sports candy”–that’s fruits and vegetables to you. Sportacus is assisted by Stephanie, the mayor’s pink-haired niece (played by Julianna Rose Mauriello), who is determined that the other kids in town stay active.

The healthy-living message is clear–but not too clear. “A boy watching LazyTown will think it’s an action show,” says Scheving, “while a girl might think it’s a dance program.” LazyTown’s fans also love its vivid visuals. Shot in Gardabaer, a suburb of Reykjavík, LazyTown blends live action, puppetry and cutting-edge CGI backgrounds. Each 25-min. episode costs $800,000–four times the average budget of a kids’ show.

It’s a price that’s well worth paying. “By 2015 there will be more than 700 million obese people worldwide,” says Scheving. In his native Iceland (pop. 300,000) it’s possible to see LazyTown’s impact. In 2004 a Sportacus-themed healthy-eating drive saw sales of fruits and vegetables skyrocket 22%. The country’s surgeon general even credits the show with helping to halt the rise in childhood obesity. “LazyTown is the most brilliant tax-saving phenomenon,” Iceland’s President Olafur Grimsson told TIME. “The chance of these children developing obesity-related diseases–which place a burden on the health system–has been greatly reduced.” Cookie Monster, your days are numbered.