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News release

Moms Use “Food Power” to Fight Childhood Obesity

February 28, 2013
Youth & Family Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Conference Will Bring Together Moms, Community Activists and Bloggers to Address Childhood Nutrition and Obesity, and to Screen Award-Winning Documentary
Type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure. Heart disease. All are life-threatening conditions that may be on the horizon for the more than 23 million children and adolescents – that’s nearly one in three – who are obese or overweight.
 
MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground grassroots organization with more than 1.1 million members, is bringing together moms, dads, bloggers, community activists and award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt to discuss action steps to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity. The “Food Power” conference will take place:
 
11am – 3pm, Saturday, March 2, 2013
Brooklyn Bridge Marriot
333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
 
WITH
 
Dr. Aletha Maybank, NYC Department of Public Health
Dream Hampton, MomsRising.org
Migdalia Rivers, Latina On A Mission
Tanya Fields, Brown Girl Swagger
Lorraine Gonzalez, Children’s Defense Fund
Joy Spencer, Center for Digital Democracy
Elisa Batista, MomsRising.org
Lisa Creighton, National Education Association Health Information Network
Jessica Donze Black, Kids Safe and Healthful Foods
Kimberly Seals Allers, MochaManual.com
Yoli Ouiya, NY Coalition for Healthy School Food
Monifa Bandele, MomsRising.org
Kate Klimczak, Center for Science in the Public Interest
Marty Kearns, PreventObesity.net
Karen Showalter, MomsRising.org
 
Participants in the “Food Power” conference will discuss the latest information about school foods, food marketing to kids, breastfeeding and access to children’s health care; how to build powerful organizing, social media and blogging skills; and meet with other parents, community members and experts working in the field of nutrition.
 
There will also be a screening of the award-winning documentary, “Soul Food Junkies” and a question-and-answer session about the film with Director Byron Hurt.
 
The issue of nutrition and the role of schools foods in contributing to childhood obesity is gaining currency. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently opened up a 60-day comment period on their updated national nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold through vending machines and a la carte lines.
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.