ANAHEIM, CA -- With the average child viewing around 5,500 unhealthy food ads on television per year, compared to the fewer than 100 healthy food ads featuring fresh fruits and veggies, it's no wonder 33 percent of children in the United States fall under the category of "overweight or obese." And this is exactly the problem the produce industry hopes to change through its new 'eat brighter' campaign.

"We actually have to make these healthier choices exciting for kids," Sam Kass, executive director of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative, said during the "eat brighter" town hall workshop Friday, Oct. 17, at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit Convention & Exposition, here.

"If this room sells more of its products, the country will be better for it," he added.

Kass was part of a panel of industry members that also included Donna Bogia, PMA director of information and customer service; Derrick Jenkins, vice president of produce and floral at Wakefern Food Corp; and Robert Verloop, executive vice president of marketing at Naturipe, who came together to discuss the 'eat brighter' movement with PMA Fresh Summit attendees.

The 'eat brighter' campaign offers the fresh produce industry royalty-free access to Sesame Street character images and was forged by the Partnership for a Healthier America, which works with the private sector and PHA Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama to make healthy choices easier for busy parents and families.

The mass-marketing of junk food is one of the "biggest issues" facing the produce industry today, said Kass, who noted that the partnership with Sesame Street will help to reverse this problem by promoting healthier food choices to young children and their parents.

"The key is making it fun and feel good," he said.

Verloop, an early supporter of 'eat brighter,' agreed with Kass and added that this campaign is about much more than the famous characters.

"It's not a promotion, it should be a part of our everyday mission," he told PMA workshop attendees. "We're talking about rebranding retail produce from the ground up. This creates a whole new level of communication that we've never had before."

The 'eat brighter' town hall workshop was moderated by Todd Putman, chief commercial officer of Bolthouse Farms, and also featured PMA President Cathy Burns.

"Part of being pioneers is being able to test something and make changes," Burns said of PMA's plans to continue evolving the program.

As for the future, Sesame Street is excited about continuing its partnership and expanding into other countries, Burns said, adding that this program "is deeply embedded into their mission."

Kass, Verloop and Burns, as well as the rest of the panelists, recognized the companies in attendance that are already supporting the "eat brighter" program, and encouraged all attendees to hop on board and change the way they market healthy foods to kids.

"We have a chance to make this a much bigger market," Kass said. "I have complete confidence that we will find a way to continue this program past 2016."

For more information on the "eat brighter" campaign, or to sign up, visit: www.pma.com/eatbrighter.