Elmo Promotes Plan to Make Kids Eat Right

WASHINGTON (AP)_ Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the kids' TV mainstay, launched its Healthy Habits for Life initiative on Thursday, while Senate Majority Leader Bill

Friday, May 21st 2004, 10:01 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP)_ Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the kids' TV mainstay, launched its Healthy Habits for Life initiative on Thursday, while Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., promoted school exercise and nutrition legislation they plan to introduce.

Joining play with politics, the children's TV show characters and lawmakers promoted new programs to encourage youngsters to eat better, be active more, and not grow up fat.

The Sesame initiative includes two public service announcements, as well as plans for a traveling museum exhibit on diet and exercise. Starting in the spring of 2005, Sesame Street will allot more time to healthy food choices and physical activities.

Frist and Wyden would develop and promote model programs on diet and physical activity in schools.

For the kids, however, the most important participants were the ones in fake fur. The children sat as still as they could, gazing up at a puppet stand as Elmo and fellow monster Rosita tried to lead by example, munching plastic carrots and bouncing through exercises.

``Elmo runs all the time,'' Elmo declared.

The senators also did some leading by example. Frist, a physician, advised Elmo, ``Stay hydrated.'' Wyden, who played basketball at the University of California, Santa Barbara, demonstrated his jump shot form, leaping several inches off the floor.

``Keep working,'' Elmo advised him.