Inspiring Kids to Get Healthy

[caption id="attachment_2816" align="alignleft" width="292" caption="Don't Call Me Cookie by Vanessa Pasiadis"][/caption]

Vanessa Pasiadis has done something that most people talk about but rarely do…she wrote a book about a subject she is passionate about, had it published, and is now promoting it to kids and their parents. Her book is called Don’t Call Me Cookie, a story about a young girl who notices that she is gaining weight and going down an unhealthy path of poor eating and not staying active….thus, she is starting to resemble a cookie. Now what sets this book apart from other weight loss books? For starters, it is geared toward children, teaching them that eating right and exercising from an early age will carry-on through their life. We live in a society now that doesn’t emphasize running around and playing outside anymore. I would hear stories from my parents about how they would stay out all day, play touch football or swim at the pool till closing.  Kids today are stationary. They would rather sit in front of their computers, go on Facebook, watch TV or play a video game. Don’t Call Me Cookie reaches kids from the start, emphasizing healthy eating and activities beginning at an early age. Kids should not be dieting, or starving themselves to be thin, thinking that it will make them popular. There are some books out there that are focused around kids dieting, like Maggie Goes on a Diet, which is sending the wrong message to children. Vanessa Pasiadis has written a smart, clever and original book that helps kids understand the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. To read more on Vanessa Pasiadis and Don’t Call Me Cookie, be sure to visit her website, where you can purchase the book. What a great gift for your child, niece, nephew or grandchild to start the upcoming school year and to promote Childhood Obesity Month. Below is a press release for Don’t Call Me Cookie which was written by the Strategic Publishing Group.

Don’t Call Me Cookie – The Right Take on the Subject of Childhood Obesity... No “Baby Dieting” Promoted Here
While the upcoming release Maggie Goes on a Diet sends the wrong message to children with its story of a six year old who goes on a diet and wins popularity only as a thinner self, the recent book Don’t Call Me Cookie provides the right message on the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Endorsed by University Hospitals, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital of Cleveland, Ohio, Don’t Call Me Cookie will be one of the most important books your child ever reads.

Author Vanessa Pasiadis’ inspiring story features Cookie Lemon, a smart, popular 12-year-old with a lot of passion for acting. A positive role model. But Cookie faces a challenge shared with many kids: she is overweight.

When Cookie takes a fall and goes to see her pediatrician, he not only treats her for her accident, but gets her started on a path to learning and living a healthy lifestyle. “Dr. Max” shares his “not- so-secret” secrets about eating right and keeping “actively active.”

What a pleasure it was to read such an honest portrait of a tween realizing how food affects her in every area of her life. Vanessa Pasiadis does a wonderful job of creating a hybrid of education and entertainment that schools and other media outlets will benefit greatly from. 'Cookie' will open the reader's eyes and inspire change in their own life. -- Elise Jaffe, Co- creator Fooditude Media, LLC, Chicago, Illinois.

Don’t Call Me Cookie is a valuable tool for health professionals working with children who are overweight or obese. It is also excellent for families who want to discuss nutrition, exercise and weight with their children. It is sensitive to the issues of self-image facing preteens, and addresses them in a gentle, constructive manner while at the same time focusing on health issues. - Leona Cuttler, M.D., the William T. Dahms Professor of Pediatrics and the Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital

Pasiadis concocted a light, breezy story that instructs while entertaining...and emphasizes concepts such as active lifestyle and portion control throughout the story. She also offers a sample diet for kids and ‘Food for Thought Questions to Ponder’ to spur discussions between children and parents. - Pittsburgh Tribune Review

About the Author: Vanessa M. Pasiadis, a Cleveland, Ohio-based author, was involved in high school dramatics in Pittsburgh. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health with a Master’s degree in Health Administration. A former teacher and health care consultant, the author wants to help young people lead a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and fun. Illustrator Anna Lowenstein attends high school in Cleveland, Ohio.

Read more at Strategic Publishing Group.

You can also follow Don't Call Me Cookie on Twitter and Facebook