"Combating Childhood Obesity"

Winthrop-University Hospital's Parenting Today educational series will offer a free lecture, "Healthy Kids: Step Up to the Plate - Combating Childhood Obesity" on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, at 7:00 PM. The program will be held at Winthrop's Community Outreach Center, 101 Mineola Boulevard, at the corner of Second Street in Mineola.

The statistics are staggering. According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of children who are overweight in the United States has doubled in the last two to three decades; currently one child in five is overweight. The increase is in both children and adolescents, and in all age, race and gender groups; the health implications are enormous.

Jean Corrigan, RN, MA, CDE, Program Director of Pediatric Diabetes and Coordinator of the Healthy Kids Program, will explain the medical risks and social issues children face when they are obese or overweight, the causes of obesity, and simple steps parents can take to help their children or teens develop a healthy lifestyle.

"The entire family needs to work together to develop a healthy lifestyle for each member," said Ms. Corrigan. "It is only through the family developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that the incidence of obesity can be greatly reduced." A question and an-swer period will follow the lecture. Attendees are asked to arrive at 6:45 PM and park in the rear of the building. Admission is free, but seating is limited and reservations are re-quired. To reserve your space, call 1-877-559-KIDS.

The Parenting Today program is coordinated by Children's Health Services and the Department of Pediatrics, part of the Institute for Family Care at Winthrop. For information on other programs at the Hospital, please call 1-866-WINTHROP.