Obesity Task Force Hosts National Expert on Childhood Obesity
DETROIT – Adam Becker, PhD, MPH, Executive Director, Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC), will be the presiding speaker for the “Childhood Obesity Planning Summit,” scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 1, 9 a.m. to noon, at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Detroit Tower, 600 East Lafayette, Detroit. Free parking will be provided in the Blue Cross parking structure.

Also speaking will be Olga Dazzo, director of the Michigan Department of Community Health. Childhood obesity is a major emphasis of the Michigan Department of Community Health. Having led a successful statewide conference on childhood obesity last fall, Olga Dazzo will talk about how local collaboration can support statewide goals to make a critical difference with this growing epidemic.

CLOCC is a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program. The consortium’s mission is to combat childhood obesity by promoting healthy and active lifestyles for children in the Chicago metropolitan area. Strategies include environmental change, public education, advocacy, research outcome measurement, and program evaluation.

CLOCC has built a broad-based network of 3,000 individuals and organizations. The Institute of Medicine, U.S. Surgeon General, American Medical Association, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recognized CLOCC as an outstanding community obesity prevention model. For more information on CLOCC, visit www.clocc.net.

The Summit is presented by the Childhood Obesity Task Force of the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority, and is co-sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Metro Solutions, Wayne County, Henry Ford Health System and the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Please send your name, organization, email, and telephone number to Camilla Lundsford at 313-549-6231, or camillal@metrosolutions.us. Registration deadline is January 23. Due to security requirements, participants are asked to arrive early and bring photo identification.

For more information on the Childhood Obesity Task Force, contact Jan Pillai at 313-871-3751, or jpillai@dwcha.org.
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Archambault at 313-477-7239

The Detroit Wayne County Health Authority is a public body corporate, established in 2004 by the State of Michigan, City of Detroit and Wayne County. Its mission is to coordinate efforts to meet the health needs of the uninsured and underinsured residents in the City of Detroit and Wayne County by assuring access and improving the health status of all people. For more information, visit www.dwcha.org.