Vytra Health Plans to Host Childhood Obesity Conference

Health Care Experts to Present Latest Findings on Obesity Epidemic", Recommend Action, in Conference at Vytras Melville Headquarters, April 21. Vytra Health Plans, in conjunction with the New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA)-Nassau/Suffolk Region, will host a half-day conference entitled Childhood Obesity: Weighing In On Overweight Kids," April 21, 2004, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Vytra Health Plans in Melville.

Melville, NY (PRWEB) April 12, 2004 --Vytra Health Plans, in conjunction with the New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA)- Nassau/Suffolk Region, will host a half-day conference entitled Childhood Obesity: Weighing In On Overweight Kids," April 21, 2004, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Vytra Health Plans in Melville.

Recent headlines have brought the issue of obesity to the forefront of public discussion. We are pleased to host this conference, as it provides the opportunity to promote health improvement to Long Islanders," said Thomas J. McAteer, Jr., President and CEO of Vytra Health Plans. The conference is among the numerous educational programs hosted or presented by Vytra on pressing health and wellness issues.

The conference keynote speaker will be Dr. Marc S. Jacobson, director of the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Childhood Medicine, at Schneider Childrens Hospital, New Hyde Park, who will examine the medical perspective of childhood obesity. Remarks by Nassau and Suffolk County Department of Health Commissioners Dr. David Ackerman and Dr. Linda Mermelstein, NYSPHA-Nassau/Suffolk Region President Bert Jablon, conference chairperson Dr. Rose Guercia, and McAteer, will precede Dr. Jacobsons address.

Presenters will include experts from Stony Brook University, the New York Statewide Center for School Health, the Nassau County Department of Health, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County. They will discuss current recommendations regarding obesity control from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and explore a variety of topics encompassing a range of scientific issues and social factors. A question-and-answer period will follow the panelists remarks.

The conference is open to the public and the professional community, such as healthcare providers, educators, exercise physiologists, dieticians and others. Many perspectives, including the role of the family, the influence of schools, the impact of exercise and medical implications, will be featured. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control reported that obesity is close to overtaking smoking as the leading cause of death in the U.S. and that 64 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.

Conference attendees will gain insight into four vital areas: CDC guidelines regarding childhood obesity; New York State and local county action plans; implementing obesity prevention programs in schools or professional practice; and, identifying appropriate personal and professional roles in addressing the issue of childhood obesity.

Continuing education credits through the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University will be available to certified health education specialists and registered dietitians who attend.   

The registration fee for Childhood Obesity: Weighing In On Overweight Kids" is $15. A continental breakfast will be served. Pre-registration is required as seating is limited to the first 100 registrants. More information about the conference, including registration procedure, is available by calling (516) 921-5174.

For directions to Vytra Health Plans, located at 395 North Service Road, Melville, call (631) 844-2660 or go to www.vytra.com

Vytra Health Plans is a Long Island-based health plan providing personalized health care coverage and third-party administrative services to 200,000 members in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties. Vytra is consistently rated highest for customer satisfaction among heath plans in the region.

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