05/25/07 Getting the 3-a-day dairy message to kids

Jon Ashton knows what its like to be obese. As a child he was taunted, teased, even beaten because of his weight. Ashton changed gears, lost weight and today he talks to kids about the benefits of a healthy diet. The United Dairymen of Idaho teamed up with Ashton to get the message out to more than three thousand students in the Magic and Treasure Valleys. He says look at the stats; 16 to 33 percent of American children are obese, nine out of ten girls and seven of every ten boys are not getting enough calcium in their diets. ASHTON "The children feel great. They may seem like one of the American Idols. They may dance like someone from so we think we can dance. However at a later age this could hit them because we know our bones are growing until we're 18 to 21 and what we could face is an epidemic of osteoporosis in our next future generation." His very upbeat one hour sessions with school children are something to see. The kids get involved, some are asked to create a parfait. ASHTON "And we talk about the importance of yogurt and fun ways we can use it. Then we'll also make a smoothie and in between the children will teach me their new dance moves." Jon Ashton's visit this week supports Idaho's dairy farm families' commitment to helping educate consumers on the importance of healthy eating, including three servings of dairy a day plus daily physical activity. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott