Jimmu's blog

A couple of days ago, I sent an email to the Association of Children’s Museums asking them what they were doing to make sure that the Museums dedicated to children where acting on the food issue, making sure that healthy food was being promoted at the same level as Fast Food and Soda vending machine. As i reported some days ago, most of the museums and public institutions are selling chicken nuggets and french fries for kids menu and filling their shelves with sodas, gatorades, and sugar saturated products. Pushing healthy solutions to a often useless corner. The explanation - french fries are cheaper to produce, easier to sell, kids love it, the equation is easy. 

The Children Museum Association emailed me back saying that an initiative was already in place. Good to Grow has for mission:

Good to Grow! is the children’s museums field’s response to the growing prevalence of childhood overweight and rise in related health issues. Building on a history of leadership on social issues affecting children, children’s museums have acted to counter this crisis by taking leadership in their communities to improve the health and wellness of families through programs, exhibits, partnerships and advocacy. The Good to Grow! initiative is managed by the Association of Children’s Museums on behalf of its members.

Through Good to Grow!, children and families engage online and at children’s museums with these key concepts for healthful living:

• Eating good foods;
• Getting plenty of exercise;
• Tracking screen time (computer and TV); and
• Connecting with the outdoors.

This is great news. Now we just need to pressure all public institutions and museums, and theme parks to follow and apply those much needed guidelines and understand their own responsibility in the equation.