One of America’s greatest health challenges today is childhood obesity. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents during the  past 30 years. 
They report that childhood obesity may have both short- and long-term effects on the health including:
• Obese children are more likely to have one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
• Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a person is at increased risk for developing diabetes.
• Obese children and adolescents are more at risk for having issues with their bones or joints, sleep apnea, as well as social and psychological problems.
• Obese children and adolescents are more likely to be obese adults and experience the health problems that obese adults experience.
When the nation’s first lady, Michelle Obama, sponsored a Healthy Lunchtime Challenge contest as part of the Let’s Move! Campaign to battle childhood obesity last year, a 12-year old Dresden girl Sienna Mazone decided to get involved. 
Youth ages 8 to 12 were asked to create an original lunchtime recipe which is healthy, easy to afford, tasty and which meets federal nutritional guidelines.
Sienna, who is a homeschooler, submitted a winning recipe. She was one of 53 youth from across the nation who were invited to be the first lady’s luncheon guests at the White House last year.
“It was awesome,” said Sienna. “It was very, very, very exciting. I can’t believe I was there. We had to go through four security checkpoints to get into the White House.”
Mrs. Obama greeted each of the children personally. Sienna was struck by her height. The first lady stooped down to speak with Sienna who is 5 feet 1 inch tall. 

Mexican Haystacks Created by Sienna Mazone   Serves 6 Ingredients 6 whole-grain flour tortillas 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced thin 1 red Fresno chile pepper, seeded and chopped 1/2 red onion, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Juice of 1 lemon or lime  (about 1/4 cup) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 avocado, mashed 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 large sweet potato, baked,  peeled and mashed 1 (15-ounce) can vegetarian  refried beans Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the flour tortillas in strips and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the strips are crispy and slightly brown. To make the salsa: In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, chile pepper, onion, cilantro, 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of salt. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon (or lime) juice and the avocado with 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, add the remaining 2 teaspoons cumin to the mashed sweet potato. Warm the sweet potato and the beans in the microwave in 2 separate bowls for 1 minute. To make the haystack: Either make 1 big haystack to serve at a party, by placing the refried beans on a plate, topping with sweet potato, salsa, and avocado, in that order. Place the baked tortilla strips around the haystack to use for dipping. Or plate by arranging a few tablespoons of each component into individual haystacks on individual plates.

“Boy was she tall,” said Sienna.
Sienna’s mother, Kim Mazone, said that the day before the luncheon all of the youth went to see a special food exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., which portrayed how diets in the U.S. have changed over the years. She said that she and Sienna were bothered by the number of chemicals used to add flavor to foods today. 
Mrs. Mazone said they also noticed that what was considered a large portion of food years ago is now considered to be a small portion.
Kim said that their family is very aware of how what they eat affects their health. She said her husband, Zach Mazone, is a resident at Central Maine Medical Center and that he often comes home from the hospital and reminds them that many of the illnesses he sees there are related to lifestyle choices. 
They encourage their children to eat healthy foods and they practice organic gardening. Sienna has her own herb garden and sells herbal products at the Common Ground Fair with a friend.
Sienna became interested in cooking at a young age. Her mother said that Sienna and her 8-year-old brother Lucca don’t watch much TV, but they do enjoy cooking shows. One of Sienna’s favorite shows is “Chopped,” a TV show on the Food Network in which participants are handed several ingredients and given a set of amount of time to come up with some type of interesting dish. 
That show was what inspired Sienna to create her winning “Mexican Haystack” recipe.
Sienna’s mother gave her three ingredients — a sweet potato, an avocado and a Fresno chili pepper — and challenged Sienna to create an interesting concoction. Sienna was allowed to add other ingredients, but had to use the original three that she was given. 
She added refried beans, cherry tomatoes, freshly baked whole-grain tortilla shells, and a few other ingredients, creating a healthy lunchtime recipe which she later entered in the contest.
Sienna said Mrs. Obama challenged each of the semifinalists to go home and to get involved in their community and to make a difference.
“She told us to be a role model,” said Sienna.
Each of the youth was instructed to connect with a chef in their state and to find different locations where they could offer cooking classes. Sienna has taught bread making classes for children at the Ark, a vegan café in Lewiston.

Wanda Curtis is a Master’s-prepared nurse and journalist who specializes in health and family-related articles.

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