If you work with children, this symposium is for you!

4/8/2011

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The 2011 HEAL (Healthy Eating, Active Living) Appalachia symposium will be held Wednesday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center. Admission is free. Participants will hear from national experts on childhood obesity and get new ideas for creative ways to impact childhood obesity and improve the health of children in our region.

“Obesity is a significant epidemic among our nation’s youth, and it’s going to take efforts from all sectors of the community to make a difference,” said Dr. Randy Wykoff, dean of East Tennessee State University’s College of Public Health and chair of the HEAL Appalachia advisory committee. “If you work with children in any capacity, this symposium will be important for you. We are looking for participation from civic clubs, churches, scout troops – anyone who has an interest in helping our youth achieve better health.”

Wykoff will kick off the April 27 event, which will feature Dr. David Katz, associate professor at Yale University School of Medicine and the leader in developing the NuVal ™ nutritional quality index. Representatives from the Tennessee Obesity Taskforce and Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth will also present.

Also during the symposium, HEAL Appalachia will announce the recipients of this year’s childhood obesity grants. This year, 63 organizations in Tennessee and Virginia have applied for these grants designed to directly impact childhood obesity in our region.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and presentations will start at 9 a.m. Please RSVP by April 21 atwww.healappalachia.com or call 423-431-1002.

HEAL Appalachia was created by Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA) to help local communities address health challenges, especially those associated with childhood obesity. Major partners in HEAL Appalachia are ETSU, Food City, the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office, Crown Laboratories, and the Cumberland and Lenowisco Districts of the Virginia Department of Health.

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