FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
DanaYoung, JLOEB PR
Chair
415-378-7998, danayoung@yahoo.com
THE
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF OAKLAND-EAST BAY, INC. ANNOUNCES 2006 CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND
NUTRITION INITIATIVE AND WEBSITE
LAFAYETTE, Calif. – March 22, 2006 –The Junior League of Oakland-East Bay,
Inc. (JLOEB) 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. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta, GA) 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. (Source: American Obesity Association,
Washington, DC.)
With the goal to raise
awareness and attempt to reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its
associated health issues, the JLOEB’s program supports the Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen national
initiative which will educate children and families about childhood obesity and
nutrition and give thousands of children and their families the opportunity to
enrich their lives and palates with recipes, tips and
activities.
“It is extremely rewarding
to be a part of an national organization determined to put a ‘stake’ in the
ground on this issue and mobilize our vast rank of volunteers - more than
170,000 strong - to work for positive change in our communities,” said Leslie Bates, President 2005-2006, JLOEB. “Delivering information and tools to children
to make better decisions about their nutrition, exercise and health is one of
the most lasting and important legacies we can hope to
leave.”
Top Chefs and Nutrition Professionals Join JLOEB Members
to Support the Campaign
The art of cooking and sharing
recipes has long been a part of Junior League heritage. In the East Bay Area of
Northern California, the JLOEB is working together with experts in the culinary,
nutrition and medical fields to share information with children and parents, and
the community at large, about the basics of healthy cooking, snacking and
nutrition.
The local initiative
features well-known chefs, including Victor Scargle, Executive Chef of Julia’s Kitchen at COPIA (Napa, CA),
and Robert Lam, Executive Chef/Owner Butterfly Restaurant (San Francisco,
CA), as well as nutrition expert Nicole Britvan and many others who,
along with the League, hope to make a powerful, change-affecting, long-term
difference for all kids. The site, http://www.jloeb.org/kidsinthekitchen.htm,
features favorite kid-friendly recipes, cooking and nutrition tips, as well as
biographical information.
National Launch of Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen
Website
Among the many aspects of this
grassroots campaign, the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), the
umbrella organization of the Junior Leagues, this week unveiled a virtual recipe
collection featuring kid-friendly, nutritious recipes that are grouped into five
categories: breakfast, lunchbox, dinner, snacks, and party treats. The website,
which includes contributions from celebrities such as actresses Fran Drescher
and Emmy Rossum and Top Chefs George Stella and Daniel Boulud, features 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/.
JLOEB to Serve Up Nutrition
Lesson at Hoover Elementary School
On April 19 in support of the
Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen campaign and the
JLOEB’s award-winning Super Stars
Literacy Program (SSLP), Michelle
Stern, founder of What’s Cooking (http://www.whatscooking.info/), and
several JLOEB members, including registered dietician Megan Thomas, will be
leading children in various hands-on and healthy activities. The goal is to help
the SSLP families better understand
the links among physical activity, healthy lifestyle, good nutrition, and
success in school. SSLP, the JLOEB’s signature project, is
a comprehensive after school literacy program for kindergartners, 1st and 2nd
graders designed to make reading fun and exciting. What’s Cooking, named as one
of the East Bay’s best cooking class providers, offers interactive and
educational cooking workshops for children, ages 2-1/2 through 19. To learn more
about SSLP visit: http://www.jloeb.org/projects/Sigproject.htm.
“I
am thrilled that the issue of childhood obesity is being championed by the
Junior League,” said Diane Stevenson, President-Elect 2006-2007, JLOEB. “The statistics of this epidemic are
frightening, and while the present data most certainly demands action now, we
must not forget to look toward the future and see the looming heath catastrophe
when these children become adults, if nothing is done.”
Junior League of
Oakland-East Bay, Inc. - Women Building Better
Communities
Founded in 1935,
the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Inc.
is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the
potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers.
The JLOEB offers women the opportunity to implement change in the
community in three major ways: projects, grants, and outreach. The common thread in the JLOEB community
work is the League’s dedicated mission focusing on Children at Risk.
Its purpose is
exclusively educational and charitable. To learn more, support League projects or become a
member, please visit our website at www.jloeb.org.