BEDFORD, Mass. -- Inch By Inch Child Development Center in Bedford has begun serving healthy snacks from Whole Foods Market® to introduce children to healthy eating and address the rampant problem of obesity.

The new snack food criteria eliminate trans fats (hydrogenated oils), high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial sweeteners.

The change, which took effect July 1, was initiated by Inch By Inch mother, Joan Turnberg, with the support of Inch By Inch Director Paula Salvucci and Bedford Whole Foods.

Turnberg, a Bedford resident whose son attends Inch By Inch, is a Wellness Coach who promotes exercise and healthy eating. "I saw an opportunity at Inch By Inch to help create healthy eating habits at an early age," she said. "I was thrilled when Paula agreed to an overhaul of the snack offerings and happy to coordinate the process."

"The previous snack labels were analyzed to see how they stacked up to the healthier criteria that Paula and I agreed upon," Turnberg said. This led to a meeting with Bedford Whole Foods Representative Tina Ford who presented healthy snack options and, along with Turnberg, helped Inch By Inch select healthier alternatives for the children.

As a result, Bedford Whole Foods is now the primary supplier of snacks for Inch By Inch.

"This was the right thing to do in order to have a positive impact on children’s health and eating habits. Working with Bedford Whole Foods has made that possible," Salvucci said.

"Whole Foods Market sells more than great food- we sell a great way of life. That is why it’s important to us to partner with our community such as Inch By Inch and spread this message," Ford said.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics with the Centers for Disease Control, 16 percent of children and teens ages 6 to 19 are overweight, and another 15 percent are considered at risk of becoming overweight, based on 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on children. The 1999-2002 findings for children and adolescents suggest the likelihood of another generation of overweight adults who may be at risk for subsequent overweight and obesity related health conditions.

Table 1. Prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents ages 6-19 years, for selected years 1963-65 through 1999-2002

Age (years)1	NHANES 1963-65 1966-702	NHANES 1971-74	NHANES 1976-80	NHANES 1988-94	NHANES 1999-2002
6-11	4	4	7	11	16
12-19	5	6	5	11	16

¹Excludes pregnant women starting with 1971-74. Pregnancy status not available for 1963-65 and 1966-70.
²Data for 1963-65 are for children 6-11 years of age; data for 1966-70 are for adolescents 12-17 years of age, not 12-19 years.

About Inch By Inch
Inch By Inch provides quality care for children between the ages of 2 months and 11 years of age and learning opportunities that are appropriate to a child’s age and stage of development. Founded by Paula Salvucci in 1994, Inch By Inch is a licensed, privately owned and operated childcare center. The center is open year-round from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and is located in a safe, clean and well-maintained facility occupying over 8,500 square feet at 19 Crosby Drive in Bedford. Inch By Inch can be reached at 781-271-0800.

About Whole Foods
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer. In fiscal year 2004, the company had sales of $3.9 billion and currently has more than 165 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Whole Foods Market motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market, Harry’s Farmers Market®, and Fresh & Wild® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Whole Foods Market employs more than 33,000 team members and has been ranked for eight consecutive years as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for" in America by Fortune magazine.

About Joan Turnberg
Joan Turnberg is a Wellness Coach, educating clients on understanding food ingredient labels and empowering them to make healthier choices. Joan is also a Certified Massage Therapist and Certified Nia Instructor (an exercise form combining martial arts, dance and yoga). Previously, Turnberg was the Training and Development Manager at Abbott Laboratories, MediSense Products. Turnberg has a degree in Medical Technology. She can be reached at 781-223-8555 or wellness@live-life-well.com.