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Contact:
Nancy Solomon
Phone: 314.977.8017
solomonn@slu.edu

July 24, 2002

ST. LOUIS -- While many young girls are reading books about the adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen or the escapades of the Babysitters' Club Little Sisters, hundreds of Girls Inc. campers from the city are devouring personalized stories designed to encourage them to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to prevent cancer.

"By the teen years, eating patterns that lead to chronic diseases are difficult to change. Thirty-five percent of chronic diseases are related to diet and activity," says Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., professor of behavioral sciences and health education at Saint Louis University School of Public Health. "The recommendation is to eat five fruits and vegetables a day, and the majority of the population doesn't eat three."

Saint Louis University School of Public Health has teamed up with Girls Inc. to teach hundreds of elementary girls about the joys of eating strawberries and pineapple instead of Twinkies and chips.

Half of the girls at the camp -- 250 -- receive a series of personalized books with them featured as the main characters, while the other half receive the standard summer curriculum. In each individualized book, the girl pursues her favorite activities, including eating her favorite fruits and vegetables. They, and the rest of the campers, participate in classroom activities that teach about nutrition and all families receive newsletters that complement what the girls are learning.

The girls read their storybooks and have nutrition lessons at the camp, which is held through Aug. 16.

At the end of the sessions, researchers will interview both groups of girls to see whether the storybooks are an effective way to instill smart eating habits that include eating five fruits and vegetables every day. The program is funded through an $800,000 grant by the American Cancer Society. The personalized books are produced by the Health Communications Research Lab at Saint Louis University.

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