Step away from the TV right into a National Park!

The expression “If you build it, they will come.” resonates in the world of trying to help folks obtain and maintain a healthy diet.  With access to healthy food, and in some cases only healthy food, it’s a no-brainer as to what a hungry person, determined to eat, will do.  On a related note, location, location, location this summer might influence what your kids/you consume.

A Study published in the International Journal of Public Health finds that the more time in front the TV with higher exposure to TV advertisements may lead to increased consumption of sweetened beverages among children.  The study showed  “each additional hour in front of the TV increased the likelihood of regular consumption [of sugar sweetened beverages] by 50%….”.  Children of parents who were less strict about TV advertisements were twice as likely to consume sweetened beverages every week.

What to do?????  Get up, get out, and GO to a US national park!

The “Salt Lake Tribune” published an article:  “Healthy menu options coming to a Utah national park near you.”  In it, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and the National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis announced that as part of  “a healthful and sustainable food initiative”, national parks will offer a new range of healthy catering options.  The initiative builds on the 2011 “Healthy Parks, Healthy People”, pairing visitors’ health with the outdoors.

The food will be lower in calories, lower in fat and sodium, include meat without hormones, fresh and local, and sustainable.  Some of the menu options are juniper smoked bison strip loin, gluten-free almond crusted chicken tenders, and fresh spring strawberries and cream.

Sam Kass, executive director of “Let’s Move”, Mrs. Obama’s program that is aimed at eliminating childhood obesity, states that the potential impact of this initiative is huge, given the people traffic passing through the parks annually.

Activity in the parks, followed by healthy eating, makes “perfect sense….”, said Mike Litterst, spokesman for the National Park Service.  The healthier options were “more in keeping with the activities available in US national parks.”  It adds to the convenience that people are looking for.  People do not have to pack a picnic of healthy foods to assure a beneficial intake when they are in US national parks.  They know they can get the food there!

So….  step away from the TV…. step towards activity and healthy eating into a National Park!