Mike W Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 25/02) - Out with the pop and potato chips. In with the three-bean chili and caribou minestrone.

That's the message educators at William McDonald school are hoping to convey with a new pilot program geared at getting teens to eat healthier foods at home and school.

"Studies show that there are higher incidents of obesity in this age group (12-14)," said Mabel Wong, a diabetes educator at Stanton Regional Hospital, who spearheaded the program.

"As kids become overweight at this age, chances are greater that they will be overweight as adults."

Principal Gordon Breen said even athletic and outgoing students can use some instruction on diet. He surmises that, while the diet of elementary age students is largely up to their parents, children entering their pre-teens have more control over what they eat.

"Perhaps, at this age, they're more independent," said Breen. "They're feeding themselves to a certain degree."

That is why Yellowknife Education District No.1, in partnership with the Canadian Public Health and Northern Nutrition Associations, set out to convince youth to change their junk food eating habits.

Students at the school will now take in afternoon cooking classes, where they will encounter more granola than KFC.

Range Lake North students will also be visiting the school to take part in the program.

"The focus of the recipes is being taught are low fat, low-sugar, and whole grains," said Healthy Choices program instructor Katherine Keyes, who began teaching the course at the beginning of the month.

"The emphasis of the cooking is using as many non-processed foods as possible. We are also focusing on Northern foods, such as caribou."

As part of the program Keyes will also be visiting several schools throughout the district, promoting diabetes awareness.

"The big thrust of this program is to prevent diabetes, and obesity as well," said Keyes.