Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer has launched a campaign to encourage Kentucky students to adopt healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

Eat to Win is an educational program aimed at teaching children about the advantages of eating fresh fruits and vegetables and buying locally produced Kentucky Proud food while maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active. Former University of Kentucky basketball star and current NBA player Tayshaun Prince and professional golfer Whitney Wade, a native of Glasgow, have joined Commissioner Farmer to promote the program.

“It’s important for children to eat right in order to maximize their performance in the classroom, on the field of play and in the game of life,” Commissioner Farmer said. “Eat to Win is designed to help students make positive lifestyle choices.”

Posters promoting the program are being posted in schools throughout the Commonwealth. The Eat to Win Web site, www.eattowinky.com, contains valuable information about the need for fruits and vegetables in the everyday diet; the importance of buying fresh, local Kentucky Proud foods; nutritional tips, and much more.

Commissioner Farmer launched Eat to Win in response to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that revealed that:

• Only 13.2 percent of Kentucky’s youth eat fruits and vegetables five or more times a day, compared with the national average of 21.4 percent;

• 40.5 percent of Kentucky students drink one or more soft drinks per day, compared with the national average of 33.8 percent;

• 59 percent of American high school students skip breakfast three or more times a week; and

• 37 percent of Kentucky youth are either obese or overweight.

“In this day and age, it’s tough for children as well as adults to make sure they’re not just well fed, but fed well,” Commissioner Farmer said. “Eat to Win is a tool to help our young people grow up to be healthy, happy and successful.”