Media Release | Oct. 2, 2006
Conference Examines Latest Prevention and Treatment Techniques for Child and Teen Obesity
Reducing childhood obesity is the focus of an interdisciplinary conference sponsored by the Interprofessional Continuing Education department of the University of British Columbia, in cooperation with BC Children’s Hospital, to be held Oct. 5-7 at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites at Stanley Park in Vancouver.
The first of its kind in B.C., this conference focuses on practical aspects of the treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity and brings together a group of Canadian and U.S. professionals including physicians, researchers, teachers, psychologists, dieticians, and other professionals to discuss the most recent advances in this field.
A special session will be held Oct. 5, from 2-5:30 p.m. to look at B.C. programs. It will be co-chaired by Dr. Jean- Pierre Chanoine, clinical professor and Head, Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit at BC Children’s Hospital and UBC.
Shapedown BC, a B.C. Ministry of Health program for treatment of child and teen obesity, will be discussed by Dr. Mary Hinchliffe, medical director of the Centre for Healthy Weights. The program is a family-based multidisciplinary approach to assessment and treatment of childhood adolescent obesity, sponsored by ActNow BC, the government’s health promotion platform that is helping British Columbians to make healthy lifestyle decisions to be more active, eat healthier foods, live tobacco-free and make healthy choices during pregnancy.
Presentations will include an overview of Healthy Buddies, an elementary school program managed through BC Children’s where children teach children about positive body image, healthy eating, and exercise. The session is presented by Dr. Sue Stock, a pediatric endocrinologist and a clinical instructor at UBC who co-founded the program. Dr. Heather McKay will also present the ActionSchools! BC, program, also an ActNow BC initiative, which is currently being developed in many B.C. elementary schools.
After the B.C. programs session, the conference will focus on the latest advances in the treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity.
“The conference allows experts to share their experiences to determine how best to address the obesity epidemic that we currently see, not only here in B.C. but internationally,” says Dr. Chanoine. “The issue of childhood obesity is complicated. There are a variety of social and physical ramifications that must be taken into account. Because there is no silver bullet, it is important that different approaches be discussed.”
Other conference highlights include “Please Mum and Dad, I Want More” which looks at parents’ roles in children’s weight-related issues and is presented by Ryna Levy-Milne, chief, Oncology Nutrition at BC Cancer Agency and adjunct professor at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems.
Additional topics include outcomes of vending policies in schools, diabetes in First Nations children, and new advances in dietary and physical exercise approaches and behavioural determinants of weight excess.
A full conference program may be found at www.interprofessional.ubc.ca.
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Contact
Media may check in at the registration desk to obtain a media pass for the conference. Show proof of media affiliation. A media room will be available for interviews.
BC Children’s Hospital University of British Columbia
Public Affairs & Communications
Tel: 604.875.2301
Hilary Thomson
UBC Public Affairs
Tel: 604.822.2644
Cell: 604.209.3048
E-mail: hilary.thomson@ubc.ca
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