There has been a big push in recent years to teach children the importance of nutrition, a mission that has become more urgent due to the rising rates of obesity and other health issues. As a result, many tactics have been deployed to further this effort.

So far, these efforts have brought about mixed results, and the forces involved are, at best, very complicated. On one hand, there’s issue of availability. Often we hear the argument that healthy foods are not as available to children as those that are unhealthy. There is also the issue of exercise. As school boards worked to pack as much education as possible into the school day, their intelligence failed them when it came to exercise, many believing that physical education classes were dispensable. What good is a really smart kid who has dangerously high cholesterol, is 30 pounds overweight and is on track to develop heart disease in his early 30’s? Children today are supposed to be our leaders of tomorrow. Well, not at this rate.

The U.S. government is trying to do its part by launching programs that encourage exercise and healthy eating. In addition, it’s doing what it can to infuse healthier fare into school lunch programs. Companies like Stonyfield Farm and Fit Fuel have also tried to aid this effort by carving out the “healthy vending” niche. And organizations like the Center for Science in the Public Interest have adopted a mission to eradicate junk food advertising to children on TV. These are all important, noble endeavors, but will they prove futile in the end?

According to a recent study conducted by the Associated Press/Ipsos, adults and even teens, while they are reading nutrition labels with much more frequency, are still choosing unhealthy foods. In fact, one person was quoted as saying that they don’t use the label as a purchase influence, rather they use it to satisfy their curiosity-they want to know what they’re getting themselves into. Forty-four percent of people polled said even if the label tells them something they don’t want to hear, they buy the food anyway. And that percentage was a great deal higher for consumers between the ages of 18 and 29.

Meanwhile, preliminary results from a pilot study in Florida suggest that combining healthier options with creative education seems to resonate with youngsters. Could this be the solution to “nutrition apathy” down the road? This study, Healthier Options for Public Schoolchildren (HOPS), was launched in 2004 and includes 4000 children. The principal investigator in the study, Dr. Arthur Agatston (from South Beach Diet fame), says he is encouraged by the results so far and feels this approach will be replicated at other schools across the country.

So what have we learned? That education for anyone must include some element of fun or stimulation. That’s why we figured we would do our part by launching The Nutraceuticals World Crossword Challenge. On the back page of every issue you will find a crossword puzzle that will, in large part, focus specifically on the nutraceuticals world. If the New York Times crossword puzzle is any indication, children aren’t the only ones who need learning to be fun and stimulating.