Child Health Experts Visit Caldwell County to Address Local Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Public Invited (Registration Required), Door Prizes to be Given Away

 
When it comes to childhood obesity, North Carolina is worse than all but 4 other states.  And Caldwell County is even worse than North Carolina’s average. 

That means our kids are at higher risk for diseases and disorders including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.  As a community, we can change this trend and help our kids be healthier, happier and more successful but we need to act now! 

That’s why Caldwell Memorial Hospital and our community partners invite you to attend A Summit for the Health of Our Children at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 18 at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center.  You’ll learn from national and state experts about our childhood obesity epidemic and what we can do about it right here at home.

The program for A Summit for the Health of Our Children features four child health experts.  Beginning our Summit is Paula Collins, MHDL, R.H.Ed.  She is the senior policy advisor for Healthy Responsible Students with the NC State Board of Education.  Collins has worked closely with the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Her topic will be “On Track to a Healthier Community”. 

Next will be Sarah Armstrong, MD, FAAP.   Armstrong is the director of the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke University Medical Center.  She is currently the project leader for Duke University’s chapter of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions Task Force on Obesity and Co-Chair of the National Institute for Children’s Healthcare Quality, Childhood Obesity Action Network.  Her topic will be “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, RN, BSN, MBA and program manager of BEACTIVE North Carolina Appalachian Partnership will present “The Importance of Being Active”.  Tumbleston has worked in health care for more than thirty years as a nurse and an administrator.  In addition to having served as quality improvement coordinator for Appalachian University’s Mary S. Shook Student Health Service from 1994-2005, she served as an adjunct faculty member in the university’s Walker College of Business.  Tumbleston runs and lifts weights regularly.

Christopher Lineberry, MSA, will present “Best Practices for a Healthier School”.  Lineberry has been an educator for eleven years and is currently the principal of Jack Harmon Elementary School in Queen Creek, Arizona.  During his two years at Richfield Elementary School in Stanly County, Lineberry incorporated sixty minutes of physical activity into each school day, integrated healthy living into the curriculum on a daily basis, reduced Body Mass Index (BMI) and obesity rates, all while raising achievement scores and decreasing staff absences.

Who should attend? Parents, grandparents, teens, doctors, nurses, teachers, employers, coaches, recreation leaders, troop leaders, faith community leaders, civic leaders & anyone with an interest in improving the health of Caldwell County kids!

A Summit for the Health of Our Children is open to any Caldwell County teen or adult.  The program is free but registration is required.  Register online at www.HealthyChildSummit.com or by phone at 757-6162.

 $1,000 in Door Prizes (10 - $50 bills and 5 - $100 bills) will be shared among 15 Lucky Attendees. To be eligible, you must register, attend the full Summit, and be present at the time of the drawing.

Caldwell Memorial Hospital is pleased to be a partner in A Summit for the Health of Our Children because we care about the health of Caldwell County kids!