Warrensville Heights, OH-- The public and media are welcome to attend a Childhood Obesity Forum entitled "Healthy Nutrition, Healthy Weight" at Cleveland State University on Wednesday, August 18, 2010.  Sponsored by Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), the event gives children and their families an opportunity to learn about local resources to tackle childhood obesity and pursue healthy lifestyles.  Free dental and blood pressure screenings will be provided to children, ages 4 through 18, by University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.

With an emphasis on fitness, the program will get kids moving with exercise sessions led by New Life Fitness and the National Youth Sports Program.  To nourish young minds, Eleventh Congressional District police chiefs will read to children.  

Other participants include The Cleveland Clinic, Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services Inc., Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, NASA, Cleveland Public Library, and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  Zoo staff intends to bring some friends along to entertain the children, including Otis the screech owl, Rio the Opossum and Pedro the Columbian Boa Constrictor.

In May, the House passed a resolution introduced by Congresswomen Fudge and Kay Granger (TX-12) to designate September 2010 as Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.  "We are facing a national health epidemic in which nearly a third of our children are obese or overweight,” stated Congresswoman Fudge. "Addressing childhood obesity and improving access to nutritional foods will improve our children's health, have a direct impact on their education, and sustain them throughout their school years and beyond."  

WHAT:   Childhood Obesity Forum, "Healthy Nutrition, Healthy Weight"

WHEN:   12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

WHERE: Cleveland State University
                  Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
                  1717 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115