“It is said that this generation will be the first in a long time that will not live as long as their parents,” Eric Ruth told the students of Ms. Ashley Koren’s fourth-grade class Jan. 6.

The students shook their heads in disapproval, many exclaiming it was unfair.

“Do you want to change that?” Ruth asked.

The students said yes.

Ruth, known to students as Sensei Eric, is a co-founder of Kellyn Foundation, which he created with Meagan Grega, M.D.

Ruth presented Zephyr Elementary School students a pretest about nutrition and healthy eating before speaking about making good food choices to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

He showed the students how to read food labels and how to look at the amount of fat and sugar in a serving. Looking at grams of fat per serving, Ruth told the students to remember, “Less than five, stay alive; between five and 10, may not be my friend; and more than 10, it’s the end.”

The students repeated the pneumonic device with Ruth.

The Kellyn Foundation works with schools starting with students in third grade and working with students up until fifth grade.

In the first year, students learn what it is to eat real food; in the second year, they learn how to read food labels; and in the third year, students learn how to make healthy choices while eating at restaurants.

The foundation is partnered with Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital, and this is the second year Whitehall-Coplay School District has participated.

The foundation also works with school districts to create a garden, which allows teachers in the foundation to visit the students a few times a year.