School Nutrition Training & Programs / Shamona Harnett
Taking On Child Obesity, One Sticker At A Time
Winnipeg, Manitoba A Canadian entrepreneur has created a fun, new way for children to help themselves in the fight against obesity with a product so innovative, it has educators, parents and children raving about it.
Robert Zyluks Produce Passport book was launched on the Internet almost four months ago at: www.producepassport.com. Already, orders have been filled for schools and individuals in places such as Georgia, Arizona, Utah, Michigan, Hawaii, Idaho, California, Alabama, Missouri, Washington D.C, Alberta, Ontario and many more.
"We haven't spent anything on advertising," Zyluk told the Winnipeg Free Press in a recent LIFE section cover story. "But you cant turn on the TV lately without seeing something about childhood obesity, and its clear by the response that people are looking for new ways to fight the battle."
The Produce Passport is a colorful sticker book, shaped like a real passport, allowing children to collect UPC stickers from fruits and vegetables as a way to track how much theyve eaten. What is a Produce Passport? Click to see more at: http://www.producepassport.com/producepassport.php.
From plums to pomegranates, peppers to papayas, there are 21 different items featured in each Passport. Children simply take the UPC sticker from the fruit/veggie theyve eaten and stick it into their book. The Passport also features fun facts, puzzles, games, and brief descriptions of each fruit and veggie.
As soon as kids think youre trying to teach them something, they typically arent so interested in it, says Zyluk. With the Produce Passport, theyre learning about diet, nutrition and health, without ever hearing those words.
There are two passports; one for children under the age of 7, and one for children 7 and older.
Winnipegger Jackie Bockstaels 11-year-old nephew, Cameron, gave Produce Passport a trial run during a visit last summer. She says it was an instant hit.
"He was running around trying pears and tomatoes, things he really didn't have a hankering for before," says Bockstael. "He ended up trying kiwis and was impressed that you could eat the little black seeds. He thought they made a nice pattern."
Meanwhile, Greg Chliboyko says he was surprised at how his 4-year old daughter, Avery, caught on at such a young age. Avery loves her Produce Passport. Shes now a sticker hoarder at the produce department. She and my wife, Kathy, became fruit freaks overnight. No lie, its magic.
Says Zyluk, I think we all pretty much know how quickly the obesity problem is growing in North America, and what thats doing to the physical and mental health of our young people. I dont have any children yet, but I hope that by the time I do, products like the Produce Passport will have helped us turn a corner towards a healthier young generation.
For more information, contact: Robert Zyluk at 204-770-7607
Website: www.producepassport.com