UNC-TV and Health Experts Discuss Childhood Obesity
On Healthwise: Childhood Overweight, May 26, at 8 PM

North Carolina's kids are losing the battle with the bulge.

The Center for Disease Control reports that 27% of high school age students in North Carolina are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Additionally, the North Carolina Nutrition and Physical Activity Surveillance System (NC-NPASS 2003) states that 23% of children ages 5 to 11 are overweight and that the prevalence of obesity in North Carolina's children increased by 40% in 5 to 11 year olds between 1995 and 2000.

UNC-TV brings the issue of childhood obesity to the forefront with Healthwise: Childhood Overweight, Thursday, May 26, at 8 PM. North Carolina Now correspondent Christine Rogers leads a panel of experts from the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund, the Department of Public Instruction, the NC Department of Health and Human Services and other health agencies.

Expert panelists will discuss not only the policy proposals but also explore the origins of childhood overweight and obesity; look at prevention programs and efforts being made on the state and local levels; and take questions about childhood overweight from our viewing audience.

Panel guests on Healthwise: Childhood Overweight include:

• Dr. Olson Huff, Commissioner, North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund
  Located in Asheville, Dr. Huff is a retired pediatrician who practiced in Asheville for 35 years. He believes childhood overweight and obesity is a significant health problem in North Carolina and the consequences of that problem are enormous.
• Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director, Be Active North Carolina
  Shellie Pfohl helped found BANC in 2000. She has helped start Be Active New York and Be Active Minnesota and is currently developing Be Active America. BANC has put together a comprehensive strategy, aimed at encouraging and coordinating grassroots fitness programs focused on policy and environmental changes, public awareness, collaboration and volunteerism. The program's mission is to increase physical activity levels and healthy lifestyles among all North Carolinians through people, programs, and policies.
• Lynn Hoggard, Section Chief, Child Nutrition Services, Department of Public Instruction
  Lynn leads the state's Child Nutrition Team, which includes administration and oversight of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, After Snack Program, Seamless Summer Feeding Program and Special Milk Program. She serves as the state's liaison between the DPI and the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service.
• Jorge Figueroa, PhD, Deputy Director, Wilmington Health Access for Teens (WHAT)
  Dr. Figueroa's work focuses on campaign to create community awareness in New Hanover County. His organization is working with a number of local partners to implement the state's recommendations for physical activity and nutrition. He is drawing heavily on a model called Question Why, which was used for tobacco. He is trying to create a Gold Standard in schools for nutrition.
• Nicole L. Beckwith, R.H.Ed., Grant Program Manager, Children, Youth and Community Obesity Grant, NCDHHS-Division of Public Health
  Beckwith oversees the three-year Children, Youth and Community Obesity Grant funded by BCBSNC and HWTF. The mission of the grant is to prevent and help African American, Hispanic and American Indian youth ages 5-11 with the problem of obesity.

Viewers are invited to call in with their questions, to be answered during the program. Tune in Thursday, May 26 at 8 PM for Healthwise: Childhood Overweight.

UNC-TV is North Carolina's only statewide broadcasting system, made possible through a unique partnership of public investment and private support. UNC-TV's commitment to producing and broadcasting local and national programs about our state resources make it one of the state's most important sources of information. For more information about UNC-TV and its programs, please visit www.unctv.org.

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