You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2504 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Picture This: Your Child Healthier Through Sports (NAPSA)—Parents can play a major role in keeping children fit and active—and there are many reasons to do so. Why Sports “Children not only need to burn energy for healthy development, but also need to interact with peers, parents and other role models in a safe, supportive environment to learn life skills, such as setting and achieving goals, competing fairly and resolving disputes peaceably,” says Dr. Jim Marks, director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Tips To Help To help, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests a few tips: • Set a good example by being physically active yourself. • Play and be physically active with your children. • Make sure your youngsters know about sports and recreation programs in the community. • See that the sport suits the child. Explains Mike Greenwell of the CDC: “For example, if a child prefers fast-paced games, parents can suggest running or basketball. By contrast, children who prefer leisurely activities may enjoy walking or badminton.” • Teach children safety rules and make sure they have the clothing and equipment needed to participate safely in physical activities. Picture Your Young Athlete Like A Star It’s also a good idea to encourage your young athlete. Parents can pique interest in their children’s chosen sport by taking them to local high school or college games, attending their athlete’s games and showing them how much they admire and appreciate their efforts on and off the field. For example, parents can now use Stickyfan.com to trans- A Good Night’s Sleep One way to encourage your youngsters to par ticipate in sports is with life-size cutouts of them in action. form digital photos of their children participating in youth sports into life-size cutouts and customized posters just like those of professional athletes in action. With Stickyfan.com, any digital photo can be made into a life-size cutout that will stick to any wall or window, yet can be moved easily and repeatedly. Imagine the pride and self-confidence your athletes will experience when they see a giant action likeness of themselves on the bedroom wall. In addition, you can turn digital photos into giant, 36 x 24-inch, professional-looking sports posters with personalized borders, colors and captions. It’s all created by you online and printed professionally with just the click of a computer mouse. Stickyfan.com also provides removable and reusable logos, banners, stars and other shapes with personalized messages, colors and images to show your team spirit. Each of these sport-support items can be created in minutes online. Even better, they’re shipped, at no additional cost, within 24 to 48 hours depending on the product. That’s because they’re made by Stickyfan.com’s special graphics engine, which has been designed so a photo can be transformed with virtually no human interaction. Learn More For more information, visit www.stickyfan.com. (NAPSA)—There’s encouraging news for the millions of Americans who, for one reason or another, don’t get enough sleep: A natural solution has been found to help people catch up on their zzz’s. While there are many ways to combat sleeplessness—an estimated 49 million prescriptions for sleep medication were filled in 2007—people are increasingly discovering how music and sound can be used to enhance health and well-being by promoting a good night’s sleep. A CD with calming music has been shown to be a natural, simple and effective sleep solution. For example, a popular CD from The Relaxation Company—“Peaceful Music for Sleep”—uses a clinically proven “delta sleep” audio process, developed by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, to quiet the mind and calm the body, helping people fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up refreshed. To date, more than a million people have benefited from using Dr. Thompson’s innovative musical programs. “Peaceful Music for Sleep” is available at Target stores and at www.therelaxationcompany.com. A More Nutritious School Snack Program (NAPSA)—Schools across the country are working hard to offer more nutritious choices in food and beverages in their vending machines and cafeterias in order to improve the school nutrition environment. Still, concerns persist about maintaining revenue when popular foods and snacks are removed from the campus, winning student acceptance of new snacks and foods, finding new products and getting community support. Here are a few tips to help your school get started on a path to a more nutritious snacking program: • Establish a clear-cut goal. Programs such as the Alliance for a Healthier Generation—a joint venture between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation—Healthy Schools Program provide a framework for reaching and meeting goals. • Develop an action plan. Determine what is important, efficient and affordable for your school. Put the action plan on paper and make certain the timeline works for all parties involved. • Involve the students. Conduct a sampling program to introduce new healthy foods to students. Letting students choose will help increase adoption of more nutritious snack options. • Communicate. Experiment with the best ways to communicate this information to today’s teenagers. Draw on such resources as art, music, theater, athletic teams and other out-of-the-box ways to help teenagers see the value of eating well. • Find more nutritious products. Fortunately, snack companies A new line of “better for you” snacks is just one way schools can provide their students with more nutritious snack options. are beginning to offer such alternatives and there are tools, such as the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Product Navigator, that can help schools identify compliant foods. A good example of great-tasting snacks designed to be “better for you” is Generation Max™ created by Mars, Incorporated. The snacks come in single-serving portions and are an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. Parents can get involved too: • Be active at the school. Get the information you need as a parent by reading school newsletters and lunch menus. Encourage teachers and school staff by telling them how you appreciate their efforts to provide healthy options. • Become a decision-maker. Get involved in the local PTA/PTO and meet with school and district staff to encourage adoption of stricter school nutrition guidelines. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.healthiergeneration.org. Visit www.Gen-Max.com to learn more about Generation Max™.
