Childhood Obesity Epidemic to Be Tackled at UNCW on Nov. 16

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

More than 200 area health and fitness professionals, healthcare providers, policy makers, parents and others will come together to address the dangers of being overweight for children ages 2-5 and the economic cost of obesity at the second annual Childhood Obesity Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the University of North Carolina Wilmington Burney Center.

Community members are invited to register for the event for $5.

According to the Society of Actuaries, the total cost of medical care concerned with overweight and obesity is $127 billion. Obesity is viewed by many as the most serious health problem of the 21st century, and continues to grow for adults and children. North Carolina ties with Michigan as the 10th fattest state in the nation. In New Hanover County, 62 percent of adults are overweight and 1 out of 3 children are overweight or obese.

The Childhood Obesity Summit will promote the issue of childhood obesity by providing tools and strategies for health and child care providers to help families prevent and fight childhood obesity.

At the summit, Jonathan Kotch, a professor of maternal and child health at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, will provide insight on training for childcare health consultants. Sherri Flynt, a registered dietitian and co-author of Supersized Kids, will speak about how to encourage healthy lifestyles for families. Each presentation will be followed by a question and answer segment that will allow the audience to get involved.

The event is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, Smart Start of New Hanover County, UNCW's Obesity Prevention Initiative, Cape Fear Health Policy Council, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Star-News, United Way, Wilmington Health, Feast Down East, New Hanover County Health Department, SEAHEC and LiveFitCapeFear.org.

Registration is now open to those interested in the childhood obesity epidemic. For an additional fee, continuing education credits are available for physicians, nurses, childcare providers, dental hygienists, health educators and psychologists. To register and learn more about the Childhood Obesity Summit, visit http://www.uncw.edu/hahs/OPI.html.

Media Contact:
Joy Davis, UNCW Marketing and Communications, 910.632.3903 or davisjc@uncw.edu