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Produce for Kids(R) Establishes Expert Advisory Panel to Promote Healthy & Fun Family Eating

Posted on: Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 09:00 CDT

REIDSVIILLE, Ga., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Produce for Kids(R) (PFK), an organization that promotes the benefits of healthy eating and supports worthy causes for children such as Children's Miracle Network (CMN) hospitals and educational media content from PBS KIDS(R), has established an expert advisory panel that will provide parents with the guidance, tips, recipes and encouragement they need to improve their kids' diets. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that approximately 25 million children, or one-in-three kids, are overweight or are at risk of becoming overweight, and that, as a result, many will develop serious health conditions in later life including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and liver problems.

Heidi McIntyre, executive director of Produce for Kids, said: "As a result of our partnership with PBS KIDS, we have received many inquiries from parents asking for guidance to help them fit convenient, healthy meals for their kids into hectic family routines. We have assembled some of the most insightful children's health and nutrition experts in America, all of whom can offer parents fun, useful advice that will make kids and families healthier and happier."

The seven-member panel will assist Produce for Kids to raise awareness of the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables by creating educational materials to be posted online at http://www.produceforkids.org/ , PBS Parents (pbsparents.org ) and on participating PBS member station Web sites. The panel is also participating in the promotion of Produce for Kids initiatives, including a national research study on kids' eating habits and produce marketing that will be released in May.

"Produce for Kids requires that parents be for produce," said Dave Grotto, advisory board chairman. "Every home could do with a "shelvic exam" to evaluate just how much healthy food is available to in the house for children to enjoy."

The panel is comprised of: -- Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, FADA, a nationally known nutritionist and an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, where he has maintained a clinical practice for over 20 years. Dr. Ayoob has worked extensively in the areas of obesity, heart health, child nutrition and family dynamics, and he specializes in motivational counseling. Dr. Ayoob is the author of The Uncle Sam Diet, the first book on the 2005 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and co-authored the American Dietetic Association's position paper on food and nutrition misinformation, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association -- on whose editorial board he also served for four years. He has been a strong advocate against fad dieting and nutrition fraud, and in June of 2004 he was invited by Congress to testify about fraudulent claims made by manufacturers of diet pills. -- Connie L. Evers, MS, RD, is a specialist in children's health and nutrition education and the author of How to Teach Nutrition to Kids, a book which is used in thousands of schools throughout the world as a framework for nutrition education. She is also the author of the Disney children's book, Good for You! Nutrition Book and Games. Connie works as a nutrition consultant to schools, universities and USDA child nutrition programs throughout the nation, developing programs, writing materials and providing hands-on training to educators, health care professionals and parents. She recently assisted in the development of "Every Body Eats," an interactive nutrition exhibit which is currently traveling to science museums across the U.S. She is the editor of the Feeding Kids Newsletter, an online publication available at http://nutritionforkids.com/. -- Claudia M. Gonzalez, MS, RD, a highly regarded expert in the fields of nutrition and dietetics and co-author of Gordito Doesn't Mean Healthy, the first book to offer information, strategies and tools to prevent and manage obesity in Hispanic children. She has a consulting practice in nutrition science related to health, medical disorders and prevention, and also acts as a consultant dietitian for the elderly, children, physician's offices, weight loss centers, and the food industry. Gonzalez serves as a writer on health and nutrition issues for several magazines including Univision Online, Shape en Espanol, Healthy Kids en Espanol, Siempre Mujer, and 12 Meses, and was as a Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for six years. -- David W. Grotto, RD, LDN, president and founder of Nutrition Housecall, LLC, a nutrition consulting firm that provides corporate nutrition communications and personalized at-home dietary services. Grotto was bestowed the Excellence in Practice award by the American Dietetic Association's Nutrition and Complementary Care practice group for his clinical work. Grotto has served as national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for the past six years and has been featured in numerous print, radio and television interviews. He hosted the popular live radio program "Let's Talk Health, CHICAGO!" for more than a decade and also hosted the television program Health & Lifestyles, Weekly on COLOURS television. Dave also serves on the scientific advisory board at Men's Health magazine and is a chapter author of CRC Press' Manual of Integrating Therapeutic and Complementary Nutrition. His book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life! was published in January 2008. -- Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian and a New York State- certified nutritionist. For more than a decade, Elisa has counseled individuals and families to manage their weight and various health conditions including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. Elisa is a national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and is a contributor for msnbc.com's Chew on This column. She has also written for Woman's Day magazine and Weight Watchers magazine, and served as a contributing editor for Redbook magazine and Seventeen magazine. She is also co-author of the new book Feed Your Family Right! How to Make Smart Food and Fitness Choices for a Healthy Lifestyle and So What Can I Eat?! How to Make Sense of the New Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Make Them Your Own. -- Dawn Ciccone, Senior Director, Consumer Products at PBS. Dawn oversees the businesses of cause partnership and licensing at PBS, where she creates differentiating platforms and integration strategies that support the mission of public television and drive new revenue streams. Prior to PBS, Dawn managed partnerships with motion picture studios at Kodak in Hollywood. Dawn serves as an Officer on the boards of SPLICE [Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence], American Women in Radio and Television and the Residences at the Ritz Carlton. She is also a regular speaker at industry events such as Licensing Show, LIMA, Southern Exposure, United Fresh and FMI. -- Kari Volyn, marketing communications expert that provides recommendations and execution support for clients in the fresh foods industry on marketing communications activities such as brand development, media relations, new product introductions and influencer outreach programs. Prior to working for the Perishables Group, Kari was at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., a global public relations agency, where she managed consumer product launches, media relations programs and special events for clients such as the Kellogg Company and Gatorade. Kari also has extensive experience directing communications programs for fresh foods, having worked as the communication director for the California Strawberry Commission and the public relations manager for the Washington Apple Commission where she coordinated national public relations programs that included retail and foodservice trade components as well as consumer- driven initiatives. About Produce for Kids

Produce for Kids(R) promotes healthy lifestyles for children by educating kids and parents about the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables while also supporting worthy children's causes. Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., Produce for Kids has raised more than $1.4 million for local Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Produce for Kids also partners with PBS KIDS(R) to educate parents on healthy eating and raise funds for PBS. For additional information on Produce for Kids, visit http://www.produceforkids.org/ .

Produce for Kids

CONTACT: Gary Caloroso of Produce for Kids, +1-805-418-9991,gary@produceforkids.org

Web site: http://www.produceforkids.org/http://www.nutritionforkids.com/http://www.pbsparents.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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