Children living in Pajaro Valley, a region famous for growing strawberries and lettuce, are growing up overweight with dietary choices a major factor. Hundreds of high school students eat lunch off campus, buying soft drinks and chips on a daily basis, a cheap meal, rather than bringing a sack lunch with fruit or vegetables or eating at the school cafeteria. Teens In Watsonville, with support from United Way, are seeking change, asking mom-and-pop markets to promote fruit instead of candy and soda, proposing to sell locally grown fruit to fellow students, and asking city officials to limit fast·food outlets near schools and add more bicycle paths to make bicycle riding safer for youths.
Read "Eating habits a big factor in children's health" and "Healthier habits and happier families"
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