Welcome

HILTON PORTLAND & EXECUTIVE TOWER
18—19 SEPTEMBER 2003
The conference, "Food, Physical Activity, and Body Weight: A Regional Response to The Surgeon General's Call To Action," will be held 18—19 September 2003 in Portland, Oregon at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
Overweight and obesity are at the heart of the most pressing health issues facing Americans today. There is a direct link between overweight and obesity and health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, several forms of cancer, and other chronic health problems.

The Surgeon General's (SG) report Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity 2001 indicates that the rate of overweight and obese children has doubled and the rate for adolescents has tripled since 1980. In addition, the SG report states that approximately 300,000 deaths in the United States (US) can be attributed to overweight and obesity. Clearly, overweight and obesity are a major public health concern for the American public.

The SG report also challenges individuals, families, communities, schools, worksites, health care providers, media professionals, organizations, businesses, and governments at all levels to work together to resolve this serious health issue. It calls upon these entities to form partnerships to identify appropriate goals, objectives, and resources, and to create a multifaceted public health approach to prevent and decrease the incidence and prevalence of overweight and obesity.

In response to this challenge, the Department of Health and Human Services Region X staff is taking the lead in convening a conference of key stakeholders in the region. The goal of the conference is to address a multifaceted public health approach to prevent and decrease the incidence and prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US.

NEW
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ORGANIZED BY THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
REGION X PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE