My latest article talks about Nickelodeon's new campaign that uses familiar characters like Dora and Spongebob to make fruits and veggies more appealing to children.
Latest Article: Nickelodeon Promotes Healthy Foods
As a health-conscious mom, I’m often frustrated during trips to the grocery store. Familiar characters and toys appeal to my son, and it seems like the boxes that feature these images never contain anything but junk food. Fortunately, my son is at the age now where he can understand what kinds of things we avoid. You should see the looks we get when my four year old picks up a box of cereal and says, “Mom, does this have high fructose corn syrup in it? What about transfats?” He knows the drill since I’ve taught him so much about healthy eating as well as how companies use favorite characters to get kids to buy certain items.
That’s why I was thrilled to hear about what Nickelodeon is doing to get viewers to exercise more and eat healthier foods. We truly are experiencing a crisis in the United States regarding children's health, so I am impressed with Nickelodeon's committment to a health and wellness campaign. Childhood obesity is at an all time high due to sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits. And don’t get me started on how little recess and physical education children get in school these days. As a former public school teacher, I remember all too well being told that there was no time to take my students out to play. The focus was on passing standardized tests which meant my 3rd graders sat at their desks all day and then carried more work home so they could sit some more. In addition, children just aren’t as active as they used to be, often times preferring to surf the web and play video games rather than going outside to play. Not to mention the fact that children spend hours and hours each day in front of the tube--even during the school week. Sure, some children (like mine) are involved in sports, but even children who participate in sports on a regular basis could stand to improve their lifestyles by eating a more natural diet and being more physically active.
I hope you’ll take a moment to check out my latest article about what Nickelodeon is doing to get children to exercise more and eat healthier foods. I was happy to hear about their new campaign that brings favorite TV characters like Dora to the produce section and hope that other companies will follow suit.
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