League Members to Educate Children on Importance Of Eating Well and Staying Healthy
Fort Myers, FL (March 31, 2006) – The Junior League of Fort Myers announced today that they are joining more than 225 Junior Leagues across four countries to participate in an education initiative on childhood obesity and nutrition entitled Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen.
This initiative is in response to the alarming statistic that nearly one-third of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.1 Even more alarming, is the fact that childhood obesity has been shown to be the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, is associated with Type II diabetes, increases the risk of coronary heart disease, increases stress on the weight-bearing joints, lowers self-esteem and affects relationships
with peers.2 With the goal to raise awareness and attempt to reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues, the League-wide program will educate children and families about childhood obesity and nutrition, culminating in Junior League Volunteer Day, taking place in four countries during Volunteer Week, April 23-29, 2006. Among the many aspects of this grassroots campaign, the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), the umbrella organization of the Junior Leagues, will launch a virtual recipe collection featuring kid-friendly, nutritious recipes that are grouped into five categories: breakfast, lunchbox, dinner, snacks, and party treats. The website will also feature tips and recipes of the day, as well as quizzes and polls to test kids on their nutrition knowledge. Recipes can be printed out and pasted onto index cards to share with friends. The virtual recipe collection is accessible at http://kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org .
“The Junior League’s mission is to help women and children in the community, and helping children learn healthy eating habits is central to that mission,” Shirley Snyder-McLaren, Junior League of Fort Myers President, said. “We want to focus on the importance of educating children for the benefit of their futures.”
On Junior League Volunteer Day on April 29, League members will engage children and their families in Fort Myers with activities designed to promote healthy eating choices. Junior League of Fort Myers members, along with Crü chef Shannon Yates will host a healthy cooking class and luncheon from 10-12 at the Ronald McDonald House for Brownie Girl Scout Troop 912, Cub Scout Pack 35, and community children and their families. Attendees will learn healthy eating habits, recipes and cooking techniques, as well as receive information about nutrition and exercise. JLFM is partnering with Lee Memorial Health System to develop the cooking program and “snack-tivities” and to help provide great kid-friendly materials to go home in the children’s goodie bags.
“The Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen initiative reflects our Junior League’s commitment to use our volunteer leadership skills to improve the lives of the people in our local community,” said Snyder-McLaren. Thousands of children will have the opportunity to enrich their lives and palates with recipes, tips and activities from Junior League members through the Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen initiative.
ABOUT THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF FORT MYERS
The Junior League of Fort Myers is an organization of women committed to voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving our local community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. For more information, visit www.jlfm.org.
The Junior League of Fort Myers is one of 292 Leagues which form the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI). AJLI has over 170,000 members in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Together, they form one of the largest international volunteer organizations for women committed to making a positive impact in their communities. For more information, visit the website www.ajli.org.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.
2 American Obesity Association, Washington, DC.