By Staff
I am really excited about my title change and job responsibilities with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. As a Regional Extension Agent for Human Nutrition, Diet and Health, programs will be provided for seven counties which include: Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington An upcoming event I want to encourage you to attend is Diabetes and /Childhood Obesity Conference. There will be presentation related to health that could be very helpful to you and your family. Hope to see you there.
Diabetes and Childhood Obesity Conference is April 6-8 in Montgomery
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Department of Public Health are sponsoring the 4th Annual Diabetes and Childhood Obesity Conference April 6 through 8 at the Governor's House Hotel and Conference Center in Montgomery. The theme for this year's conference is "Steppin' Up to Prevent Obesity and Diabetes in Alabama."
Nationally, Alabama ranks number one with the most cases of obesity and number two in diabetes. There is also an epidemic of childhood obesity in the state. Up to 35 percent of children in Alabama are overweight and nearly two out of three or 64 percent of adults in the state are overweight or obese.
Obesity increases the risk for developing diabetes, Jones added. "Losing a small amount of weight by eating healthy and getting 30 minutes of physical activity a day can help prevent diabetes."
This year's conference workshops will provide valuable information on Alabama diabetes and childhood obesity statistics; type diabetes and obesity; diabetic foot care; nutrition and diet management; the association of cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease with diabetes; the relationship of exercise to obesity and diabetes; disease management for chronic diseases and chronic disease prevention; nutrition and aging; and carbohydrate counting.
Medicare and Medicaid coverage of diabetes in Alabama; an update on the incidence of obesity in three Alabama county schools in Alabama's Blackbelt; diabetic cooking programs; and ways to take control of diabetes and make lasting lifetstyle and behavior changes to better your health will also be discussed. In addition, information will be available on coalition building, organizing support groups, building a community care network and outreach projects; and using storytelling and game playing for health promotion. On-site screenings also will be available for asthma, bone density, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood lipids.
A special one-hour forum on Health Disparities is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. It is free and the public is invited to attend.
Conference registration is $150 if received before March 15 and $200 if received after that date. The registration fee includes all educational materials, meals and snacks during breaks. For those who can only attend one day, registration is $50 for Wednesday, $90 for Thursday and $50 for Friday, if you register before March 15. After that date, the registration fee for Wednesday or Friday is $100 and $140 for Thursday.
On-site registration is an additional $15 per day. Lodging is available at the Governor's House Hotel for $59 a night.
Registration forms and more information about the conference are available at www.aces.edu/diabetesconf. A van will be provided from Escambia County to help transport those that are interested in attending but need transportation. So give me a call at (251) 867-7760 and make your room reservation today.