Vital Link | winter 2009

A Summit for the
Health of Our Children

CAMPAIGN KICKOFF TO BATTLE OBESITY

More than 100 members of our community from all walks of life came out to the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center on Saturday, October 18 to take part in A Summit for the Health of Our Children. Organized by Caldwell Memorial Hospital and our community partners, the event kicked off a five-year campaign to lower Caldwell County’s childhood overweight and obesity rate almost 5 percentage points by 2013. Doing so would reduce Caldwell County’s obesity rate to the current North Carolina average—which is still higher than all but four states— but this will be a huge step in the right direction. Failure to act will leave our kids at higher risk for diseases and disorders including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

EXPERTS IN CHILD HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Summit attendees were treated to high-energy, educational presentations by experts in the field of child health and wellness. Paula Collins, M.H.D.L., R.H.Ed, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Responsible Students with the North Carolina State Board of Education, presented On Track to a Healthier Community.” Sarah Armstrong, M.D., F.A.A.P., Director of the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke University Medical Center, presented “The Childhood Obesity Epidemic: How We Got Here, What It Means for Your Child’s Health, and How Your Family Can Stop It.” Susan Tumbleston, R.N., B.S.N., M.B.A., and Program Manager of BEACTIVE North Carolina Appalachian Partnership, presented “The Importance of Being Active,” and Christopher Lineberry, M.S.A., Principal of Jack Harmon Elementary School in Queen Creek, Ariz., presented “Best Practices for a Healthier School.” One attendee wrote this about the conference: “Superb! On par with national presentations I have seen.”

JOIN US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST OVERWEIGHT
AND OBESITY IN OUR COUNTY’S KIDS!

Find ways to get the kids you care about to eat smarter and move more at www.HealthyChildSummit.com; or contact us at vlink@caldwell-mem.org or 828-757-6162.

LET’S DO OUR PART FOR
THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN

Families, schools, health care professionals, students, and local government can all do their part to prevent or reverse the trend of overweight and obesity in our children. Get on the path to a healthier lifestyle with these simple changes:
  • Families—Prepare more meals at home and include the proper servings of fruits and vegetables. Drink more water. Cut back on the time spent in front of a screen—TV, computer, and videogame, etc.
  • Schools—Increase the amount of time for physical activities during the school day; schedule time for it each day.
  • Health care—Provide educational tools and guidelines to help families succeed.
  • Students—Learn about and make healthy choices.
  • Local government—Create access to exercise facilities and programming in all communities.

Get tips and strategies for healthy eating, and check out this month’s healthy recipe. Visit www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com.