03-26-10

Breakfast Of Idols!

Love it or hate it, what ultimately makes the serial talent show, American Idol, so compelling is its unabashed approach to shaping its mainly 20-something, homegrown contestants into shapely stars. With each successive week, note how each of the contenders evolves—from hair, make-up and fashion to even shedding pounds. In our age of consumerism, even the most gifted voice doesn’t quite cut it without an equally quoiffed, sexy outward image.

So, it’s surprising to hear the show’s svelt, if not slick, Ryan Seacrest, proclaim this week that as a teenager he was “consistently embarrassed” about being overweight. Even today, he says he’s incessantly leery of what he eats, a result of rotten eating habits he developed growing up.

Admirably, Seacrest is putting his money where his mouth is (so to speak) officially teaming up with Brit chef and longtime school nutrition advocate, Jamie Oliver, to fight childhood obesity in the U.S. He’s even signed up the likes of Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato, among other pop star pundits, to help target an increasingly portly, star-gazing demographic.

But childhood obesity is an equally alarming pandemic in Canada, where, for the first time as a modern nation, a disproportionate number of children shockingly are expected to live shorter lives than their parents.

From ages 4 to 16, kids spend 180 days at school—so, what they eat there sets the standards for a lifetime. Enter Canada’s very own, ‘Breakfast for Learning’, a nation-wide, not for profit movement whose vision it is to ensure every child in Canada attends school well-nourished and ready to learn. And as its National Spokesperson, Rose Reisman is helping spread the word, educating and inspiring school kids (and their parents!) across the country.

“As the first and most comprehensive organization dedicated to child nutrition in Canada, Breakfast for Learning and I share a passion and commitment to nutrition and healthy living,” says Reisman.

Research shows that well-nourished students show improved memory, problem-solving skills and creative abilities—overall, they perform better in school. Together with generous supporters like Rose’s Glow Fresh Grill and Wine Bar in Toronto, Breakfast for Learning helps to start and sustain over 5,000 child nutrition programs across Canada, serving healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks to more than 222,000 children and youth in a nurturing environment.

“Together, we can help ensure children have the nutrition they need to grow and thrive with a world of opportunity in front of them, it’s all about learning and engraining healthy habits early on,” says Rose. As the nation’s lead advocate for quality nutrition in schools, Breakfast for Learning is well on its way to helping raise awareness and educate communities about the vital link between proper nutrition and learning through ongoing program support, training, child nutrition education, resources and research. Any kid who is strong, healthy and ready to learn will reach as far as any idol!

To learn more about starting a program, applying for a grant, keys to success, research, resources and much, much more, visit, Breakfast For Learning.