Childhood Obesity Task Force Recommendations– K-12 Digital Menu Boards with Nutritional Labeling

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Green Edge Systems Presents K-12 Digital Menu Boards with nutritional labeling at the National Restaurant Show, Chicago, May 22-25, Texas SNA show, San Antonio, June 15-16, and at the School Nutrition Association Exhibition, Dallas, July 12-14

Woodland Hills, CA, May 21, 2010 (PressReleasePoint) -- Green Edge Systems, a leader in technology solutions for K-12 school food services presents the Epicure Digital K-12 Digital Menu Board System with Nutritional Labeling at the upcoming National Restaurant Show in Chicago, 22-25 May 2010 at booth #1212 (with Epicure Digital), at the Green Edge Systems booths at Texas School Nutrition Association Exhibition TASN 2010, San Antonio, 15-16 June 2010, Booth # 643 and at the SNA 2010 National School Nutrition Association Exhibition in Dallas, 12-14 July, Booth #1449.

Nutritional menu labeling was identified as one of the simplest and most effective ways to fight Childhood Obesity, with immediate proven results.

In July 2008, New York became the first U.S. city to require fast food restaurants to post calorie counts in large type on menu boards. Recently released preliminary data by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has shown that this mandate has changed consumer habits.

Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 customers at 275 locations in early 2007 and another 12,000 1n 2008. They found statistically significant decreases at four chains -- McDonald's, Au Bon Pain, KFC and Starbucks -- and said diners who saw and acted on calorie information bought food containing 106 fewer calories on average than those who did not notice the postings.

In K-12 Schools the results are expected to be even more significant, as much of the information presented will be educational, not just calorie counts.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee comments: "Simple strategies, from menu labeling to more physical activity for our kids, add up to real improvements in our public policy and public health."
Read the full press release of Senator Harkin:

http://harkin.senate.gov/press/release.cfm?i=324871

Read the full Let’s Move White House Task Force of Childhood Obesity Report to the President:
http://www.letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesity...

The Task Force recommendations that directly relate to schools are:

“More actionable messages about nutritional choices”

“Improved labels on food and menus that provide clear information”

“Providing healthy food in schools”

“Improving nutrition education”

With more then 55 million children receiving lunch (and sometimes breakfast) via public school programs every day, schools will play a major role in this program to fight childhood obesity.

While schools are doing their best in providing healthy food choices in their cafeterias, they can address the other recommendations by utilizing technology provided by Epicure Digital Systems.

Digital menu boards are not only expected to lead the fight against childhood obesity, but also increase significantly the participation in school lunch and breakfast programs.

Digital menu boards in K-12 schools communicate with students just when they are selecting their food: while in line in school cafeterias. Digital menu boards are at the battlefront, ready to combat childhood obesity and educate students to make healthier food choices.

Most children are responsible for their food selections. From Wikipedia on Childhood Obesity: “Researchers provided a household eating questionnaire to 18,177 children, ranging in ages 11–21, and discovered that four out of five parents let their children make their own food decisions”.

If schools educate our kids to take full responsibility for their actions, it is the school’s responsibility to provide information and guidance to the kids while they are making their food selections.

Epicure Digital multimedia menu boards with nutritional icons and data next to menu items educate students to make healthier meal choices.

Epicure Digital Systems is a digital menu board company uniquely integrating its expertise in software technology, restaurant operations and food service marketing to create digital signage solutions for the food service industry. Its core product is the Epicure Digital Menu System. Its core services are menu engineering and content creation.

Epicure Digital pioneered the display of nutritional information on digital menu boards in 2003 for the U.S. Navy. Every menu item description includes the portion size, number of calories, grams of fat, and amount of cholesterol, and a ‘red heart’ icon beside menu items when the item ‘meets healthy Navy option standards’.

Epicure Digital Systems designs customized digital menu boards that solve complex menu engineering and point-of-sale marketing issues. By creatively combining information, motion, imagery and food photography, they produce visually compelling multimedia menus and promotions to help sell menu items and enhance the dining experience. They call this experience: The Cure for the Menu Bored.

Epicure Digital clients include educational institutions, hospitals, independent and chain restaurants, contract food service companies, business & industry, and cinemas and casinos among others.

The company's website (www . epicuredigital . com) has an extensive portfolio of its client's menu board installations.

To get more information on the Epicure Digital K-12 Menu System with Nutritional Labeling visit:

www . k12menuboards . com

The Epicure Digital Brochure is available at:

http://epicuredigital.com/09_assets/docs/epicure_h...

To set up a meeting and demonstration and for product and price information, visit us at one of the upcoming events or contact Green Edge Systems, Inc. at 818-825-8167, Tommy.Orpaz@greenedgesystems.com .

Contact information: Tommy Orpaz, Woodland Hills, CA 91364, mailto:Tommy.Orpaz@greenedgesystems.com, http://www.k12menuboards.com, 818-825-8167
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