North Carolina Author Develops Food and Activity Journal for Children

North Carolina author develops a fun self- care journal for children created to combat childhood obesity. In addition to their fruits and veggies, children also count their hours of sleep, glasses of water, amount of exercise and whether they kept a "good attitude" for the day.

(PRWEB) March 10, 2005 -- Vending machines in schools, fast food dinner in the car, PlayStation marathons, and chocolate chip cereal. It's no wonder that kids today are more overweight and obese than ever. According to the National Center for Health, children age 6-11 were more than two-and-a half times as likely to be overweight in 1999-2002 as they were twenty years ago, from 1976-1980.

In response, Triad author Jackie Stanley has created a self-care journal for kids, modeled after Lettuce is Not Enough, her motivational weight-loss journal for adults.

The kids version, targets school-age children from kindergarten through fifth grade. Although Lettuce Is Not Enough: A Food and Activity Journal for Kids was created to combat childhood obesity, it is not strictly a weight loss journal. In addition to their fruits and veggies, children also count their hours of sleep, glasses of water, amount of exercise and whether they kept a "good attitude" for the day.

"Keeping a journal will make kids more aware of what they are eating and whether they are taking care of their bodies," Stanley explains.

In addition to recording their daily food intake, the worksheets include recipes and ideas for healthy snacks that most kids can make for themselves: smoothies, trail mix, apples with yogurt dip.

Another section instructs kids to look in the newspaper and cut out stories or photos of people who are staying active, or who have a good attitude.

Stanley, of Greensboro, NC, is a full-time author, life-coach and speaker on issues such as personal development, weight loss and wellness. The adult series of journals is dedicated to helping people lose weight and reshape their lives by getting "bigger than their binges, stronger than their cravings and more powerful than their excuses."

"Hopefully, we can teach children how to live a healthy lifestyle and change bad habits when they are young," Stanley says. "After all, healthy children become healthy adults."

For more information on purchasing the books, please visit www.lettuceisnotenough.com or email Jackie@lettuceisnotenough.com.

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