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NUTRITION
Our bodies are made of food, and the choices
of what we eat have a profound affect on the health of our bodies,
communities and environment. Nutritionist Marion Nestle, Chair of
the Department
of Nutrition & Food Studies at New York University, has
written two books, Food
Politics and Safe
Food, which reveal the personal and cultural impacts of the
industrialization of our food supply.
As a result of poor nutrition and lack of exercise, today more than
50% of Americans are overweight. The obesity
epidemic is especially impacting the young, with five-year-old
children now showing signs of heart disease. For those concerned
about reversing this trend, the Center for Science in the Public
Interest's School
Foods Tool Kit is an excellent starting point, as well as the
organizations below.
Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free
Schools
Contact: Brita Butler-Wall, Executive Director
3724 Burke Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: 206-523-4922
Web Site
bbwall@drizzle.com
The Citizens' Campaign is a statewide network
of parents, teachers and policy makers working to eliminate commercial
influences in public schools. In addition to efforts to stop the
exploitation of children through advertising, the organization focuses
on food and nutrition, with an emphasis on getting junk food out
of schools.
Nutrition Education Network of Washington
Contact: Sue Butkus
7612 Pioneer Way E
Puyallup, WA, 98371
Phone: 253-445-4553
Web Site
butkus@wsu.edu
The Nutrition Education Network coordinates the
efforts of health experts, the food industry and public agencies
to educate the public about alternatives for healthful eating. It
also publishes the Take
5 Newsletter which reports on nutrition-related resources and
programs around the state.
Seattle Nutrition Action Consortium
(SNAC)
Contact: Brenda Wolsey
999 3rd Ave Suite 900
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206-205-5159
Web
Site
brenda.wolsey@metrokc.gov
Formed in 1994, SNAC is a consortium of health
departments, public schools and social service agencies cooperating
to promote practical nutrition education. They work primarily with
limited income families and emphasize the importance of families
cooking and eating together. In cooperation with Share
Our Strength, local chefs introduce children to simple cooking
skills and the joys of discovering new foods. In 2003, with funding
from the UW's Center
for Public Health Nutrition, SNAC initiated a new program called
Kids on the Move!, which combines nutrition education, cooking,
and physical activity. As part of this program, children tend a
garden and shop for food in neighborhood farmers markets.
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