BodiMojo Blog

Here’s a fun bite of trivia. It’s almost Girl Scout cookie time. And as part of my many occupational “hats,” I recently interviewed Kace Wilson, product sales manager for the Girl Scouts in eastern Massachusetts. She’s the logistical brain behind coordinating the annual cookie sale for more than 45,000 girls, directing 17,000 volunteers in 178 communities. The Girl Scout cookie sale runs from Jan. 2 through March 15. 

Now, Girl Scout cookies might seem the antithesis of health, fitness and nutrition, but this year the troops are peddling reduced fat Daisy Go Rounds in “portion control” packs. Like all the cookies, they have low or zero trans-fat, and no cholesterol or artificial preservatives. But still, with the goal of selling 2-3 million boxes in this region alone, from the Cape to New Hampshire, don’t Girl Scout cookies contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic? “There can’t possibly be calories in Girl Scout cookies, can there?” says Wilson. But, more seriously, she added, “cookies are definitely a treat, and a reasonable indulgence, in moderation, of any diet or eating plan.”

The Girl Scouts, in fact, have an impressive set of health and wellness programs with more than 60 age-level badges that encourage girls in healthy everyday habits, from getting enough exercise and sleep, to good hygiene and eating habits. “This is not about sitting down and eating cookies,” says Wilson.

 But we had a question for Wilson. Do Thin Mints really make you thin?

  “I wish,” she says.

   – Contributed by Cindy Atoji, former Girl Scout drop-out