Arthur-Famed Author/Illustrator Takes on Childhood Obesity

Famed childhood authors Rosemary Wells (Max & Ruby) and Marc Brown (Arthur) have teamed up to tackle the family obesity problem in this country through a new children's book The Gulps. About 60 million Americans, or 30% of the adult population, are considered obese by the U.S. government. Since 1980, overweight rates have doubles with children and triples with teens, according to the Center for Disease Control. Statistically, 45 out of every 100 elementary-aged children are overweight or obese. Created over dinner on the Vineyard, the book is written by Wells, a Connecticut resident and self-proclaimed vegetable addict. In fact, one of her daughters is a chef and the other is an organic farmer. Illustrated by Brown, the book tells a tale of an overweight family off for a roadtrip. The plump, sedentary family, with the exception of the youngest daughter, packs the car with cartons of junk food and even stops at a drive-thru fast food restaurant for a snack. The Gulps adventure hits a roadblock when the car refuses to go. The youngest child declares the family is just to fat to roll. A friendly farmer family invites the Gulps to stay at their home and have dinner - vegetable fare. The family is horrified but through a series of more mishaps in the farm and at a country fair, the Gulps learn that exercise and healthy foods make for more family fun. The book is an innovative way to tackle nutrition and obesity with children in preschool & kindergarten.
The hardcover book will hit bookstores this week, (Little Brown Young Readers, $16.99). The book can be ordered online at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com

I posed questions to Brown about his new book with Wells, his beloved Arthur character, and his love of Massachusetts inside the March issue of Bay State Parent magazine.

Parent: How do you think The Gulps can help to combat this country's childhood obesity problem?
Marc: "We hope that by reaching young children, perhaps it will help them think early on about the choices they are making."
Parent: Truthfully, what is your junk food of pleasure?

To find our Marc's answer and to read more of the interview visit: http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/013.html

SPECIAL REPORT: Ending the Food Fight & Tackling Childhood Obesity

In April, Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Clinic at Children's Hospital in Boston, hopes to get his warning about childhood obesity to a greater audience with the publication of his first book, Ending The Food Fight: Guide Your Child To a Healthy Weight in a Fast Food/Fake Food World.
The book, co-written with Suzanne Rostler, is a guide for parents that provides an easy-to-read explanation of why so many children are overweight. The book offers strategies to help families develop healthy lifestyles and includes a detailed 9-week plan for families to follow. Also, it discusses strategies and coping techniques and even offers a number of recipes for healthy snacks and meals.
In a recent interview with Bay State Parent magazine contributing writer Rosemary Cafasso, Dr. Ludwig discussed his new book and shared his thoughts on the childhood obesity crisis.
"We take 2 steps forward and 1.9 steps back. Progress is slow,'' said Dr. Ludwig. "Obesity rates don't need to go up. We could level off and we would still be set for an unprecedented disaster. If the rates stay the same, we are looking at heart attack, stroke and kidney disease becoming conditions of young adulthood.''
Dr. Ludwig has been focused on childhood obesity since the early 1990s. He was named one of our nation's "Obesity Warriors'' in a 2004 Time magazine special report that focused on America's obesity crisis. He is outspoken in calling attention to this epidemic. When asked how families can get healthy when they are often so busy, Dr. Ludwig said, "It can be inconvenient until people realize how much better they feel - and guess what? Type 2 diabetes is a lot more inconvenient."
An endocrinologist and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, he co-founded the Clinic in 1995. The clinic has treated more than 3,500 families.
Based on his years of research and patient treatment, Dr. Ludwig has determined certain factors must be in place for overweight children to lose weight and get healthy.
To read specific ways your family can make positive changes, pick up a copy of the March issue or read more of Rosemary's interview online at: http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/008.html

* Rosemary's interview with Dr. David Ludwig, is just one part of the magazine's Special Report: Tackling the Childhood Obesity Problem inside the March issue.
To read more of the Special Report check out the following links:
* http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/007.html
* http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/009.html
* http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/012.html
* http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/011.html
* http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/010.html
* Interview with Arthur-famed author & illustrator Marc Brown on his new project The Gulps -- http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0301/Articles/013.html

Overlook Farm in Rutland: Worth a Trip!

Last Tuesday, I was itching to do something different with my 3-year-old twins and 6-year-old kindergartener when I received an e-mail from a friend that Heifer International's Overlook Farm in Rutland was having an open house. An afternoon on a farm full of baby animals? Homemade cookies and milk? It's free? How could we resist!
Our Heifer volunteer, Anna, introduced us to the resident animals which include sheep, cows, dogs, chickens, llamas, a camel, goats, and a donkey. We learned interesting details such as why animals chew their cud and why sheep tails get "docked." We saw the site of the barn that was tragically destroyed by a fire last year and felt sorry for the animals who could not be saved. We hoped the animals would get a new barn soon. Our hearts also went out to a baby pig we named "Wilbur." Sadly, he was struggling since being abandoned at the Farm. We looked for Charlotte.
We warmed up in the gift shop full of unique items from around the world as we enjoyed our homemade cookies and milk.
Then, we were treated to a surprise. There was a book signing for the New York Times bestselling children's book, Beatrice's Goat. And guess who was signing the book? Beatrice herself!
That's when the connections started happening for my 6-year-old. She listened to Beatrice, who is now a young woman in college, talk about her childhood full of poverty in Uganda. Her family was only able to send her to school and build a new house after they received a goat from Heifer International.
My daughter realized that the little goats she had petted were actually going to be sent to needy families across the globe. The goats, and other animals, would save families from hunger and poverty by providing milk, labor, offspring, and more.
We went home and read Beatrice's Goat (it's wonderful) and went online to www.heifer.org to see how we could help. We were surprised that buying a goat for a deserving family would cost us only $120. We thought we could save our change.
It was such an uplifting, educational, and fun outing! When it's warmer, we will return to visit the animals and to explore the Global Village which shows what actual homes look like around the world.
On a nice day, pack a picnic and take a drive to the farm, but before you go, be sure to read Beatrice's Goat.
Overlook is FREE to the public and open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for visitors to take self-guided tours, watch a video, visit the gift shop, picnic, etc. They recommend you call ahead or stop by the office first. For more information, visit www.heifer.org/ (Click "Learning Centers" under "Learn") or call 508-886-2221.
An International Fair ideal for families is planned for June 23 & 24.