NCNM and the ECO Project (Ending Childhood Obesity)
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
Thomas A. Edison, US inventor (1847 - 1931)
Welcome to the ECO Project!
The ECO Project is a collaborative effort between Bob’s Red Mill, the internationally known whole-grain company based in Oregon, and NCNM – the nation’s oldest and most respected naturopathic medical school in the country. The partnership between Bob’s Red Mill and NCNM grew from the shared concern regarding the increased prevalence of childhood obesity and, more importantly, the associated rise of disease affecting children like diabetes, hypertension and liver disease.
 There are many contributing factors influencing our children’s health. One of these factors is, of course, food choice. We believe that poor food choices, due to problems of access and education, have played a role in this epidemic. The standard American diet is calorie rich, nutrient poor, highly processed and low in whole foods. Whole foods are foods that have not been highly processed or changed, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains like oats, rice, wheat, and corn. The opposite of whole foods are highly processed foods like fast food, packaged baked goods, sodas, many canned foods, and fried foods.
We believe that choosing a whole-foods, plant-based diet can be a part of the solution to improve the health of our children and our communities. It will take a community-based effort to sustain healthy behavioral changes. Therefore, the ECO Project reaches out to communities who have recognized a need from within to improve their relationship with food and their nutrition understanding.
The mission of the ECO Project is to reduce chronic disease and morbidity associated with childhood obesity by empowering children, families, and communities through education to make and have access to healthy choices.
To serve our mission, the ECO Project offers a series of 12 weekly workshops for children, families, and adults in the North Portland and Gresham areas to provide health education and hands-on, whole foods cooking instruction.
More Information, Recipes and Nutrition Handouts
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