Acting Surgeon General Promotes "Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future" in Birmingham

Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., will make another stop on his nationwide tour to promote the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative on Sept. 22 in Birmingham, Ala. The initiative targets prevention of overweight and obesity prevention, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, for young people.

The Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future project focuses on recognizing and showcasing those communities throughout the nation that are addressing childhood overweight and obesity prevention by helping kids stay active, encouraging healthy eating habits, and promoting healthy choices.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to visit communities across the country, like Birmingham, and meet first-hand with those actively engaged in finding ways to prevent childhood overweight and obesity," said Galson, a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service.

In Birmingham, Rear Adm. Galson will present the Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future Champion Award to the Jefferson County Childhood Obesity Taskforce in recognition of its successful programs, such as Seed 2 Plate, which increase children’s access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable foods.  Seed 2 Plate provides farming, nutrition, and cooking lessons to children from kindergarten through eighth grade in Jefferson County.

Rear Adm. Galson will also meet with key community stakeholders including representatives from business, industry, academia and other local leaders to discuss childhood obesity prevention and learn about existing prevention programs.

The 2005 Alabama Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed 17.8 percent of students in public schools were overweight.

Additional information on the Surgeon General's Initiative can be found at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/obesityprevention.html