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Community Forums:
Food,
Fitness, and Our Kids
Project Description
The Problem:
Childhood
obesity is now reported as an epidemic in our state and nation.
The percentage of young people who are overweight has
more than doubled in the last 20 years in the United States.
In our own state, by 1999, about one in five youth in
grades nine through 12 were overweight or at risk of being
overweight.
The
health consequences for our children are enormous.
Overweight and obese children are at higher risk for
developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood
pressure, and certain cancers.
Overweight and obese children are also often affected
by discrimination, psychological stress, and low self-esteem.
Our Response:
In response to this serious problem, the Washington State Board
of Health convened a number of organizations including the
Washington
State School Directors' Association (WSSDA), the
Washington
State Department of Health (WSDOH), the Office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI), the UW
Center for Public Health Nutrition,
the Washington
State Parent Teacher Association
(WSPTA), the Washington School
Food Service Association
(WSFSA) and local health jurisdictions in six counties
(Benton-Franklin, Clark, Island, King, Pierce, and Thurston)
to organize a series of community meetings.
These meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss
the far-reaching consequences of children» s inactivity and
poor nutrition and share ways schools can help address this
serious problem.
Ultimately we would like to make it easier for children to choose
health-promoting foods, be physically active, and be ready to
learn at school.
Who and When:
Benton Franklin County - Scheduled for June 14, 2004
Brooke Dubois, Executive Director of Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance
509-735-2988
Clark County - Scheduled for May 27, 2004
Kay Koontz (ED for Clark County Health Department)
and Barbe West (ED for Community Choices 2010)
Kay Koontz: 360-397-8215
Island County - Scheduled for May 3, 2004
Carol McNeil, Nursing Director Island County Public Health
360-679-7351
Seattle and King County - To be announced
Lynn Kidder, Community Based Public Health Epidemiologist at
Public Health Seattle King County
206-296-9795
Tacoma/Pierce County - To be announced
Eileen Finnigan, Public Health Educator at
Tacoma Pierce County Health Department
253-798-6549
Thurston County - To be announced
Julie Miller, Director of Prevention Services at
Thurston County Health Department
360-786-5581
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