A Dinner Date With the Olympics

Take a closer look at the Olympic rings. Located in the yellow ring are the McDonald's arches, and in the red ring, a bottle of Coca-Cola. These companies represent two of the 11 Worldwide Olympic Partners who have forked out incredible sums of money to fund the games and market their products alongside.

After the announcement of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Premier Gordon Campbell announced that British Columbia will be the healthiest jurisdiction to ever host the Olympic Games. Numerous initiatives have now been launched that encourage healthier living for all British Columbians. How does the influence of these two major Olympic sponsors affect the progress of these intiatives: initiatives that many argue have been designed to combat the unhealthy influence of these very companies.

Join us as we discuss how the products of McDonald's and Coca-Cola represent sport, nutrition and the active lifestlyes that the Olympics promote.

We will look into the effects of advertising on children, and how parents and teachers can help young Canadians better interpret the powerful messages that the Olympics emit.

Guests

Jennifer Gibson - Sport Dietitian - SportMedBC - a not-for-profit society, whose focal point is sport medicine and science within the provincial sport system. SportMedBC is committed to identifying, developing and promoting Best Practices in Sport Health, Sport Safety and Sport Training. We aim to coordinate access to a network of practitioners and to be the ultimate resources for all active British Columbians interested in sport activities.

Warren Nightingale - Education Content Developer - Media Awareness Network - is a Canadian non-profit organization that has been pioneering the development of media literacy programs since its incorporation in 1996. Members of our team have backgrounds in education, journalism, mass communications, and cultural policy. Working out of offices in Ottawa and Montreal, they promote media and Internet education by producing online programs and resources, working in partnership with Canadian and international organizations, and speaking to audiences across Canada and around the world.