An audience from the campus and local communities gathered in the Ray Johnson Assembly Room on February 10, 2009 for Alcorn State University's first Regional Obesity Conference. Sponsored by the School of AREAS, this conference was designed to share knowledge, stimulate thought, and develop plans of action for the current state of obesity. An impressive line-up of speakers addressed the crowd, providing indispensable information about disease prevention and health promotion. The plenary speaker, Ms. Carter Blakey, Senior Public Health Advisor/US Department of Health & Human Services, discussed obesity trends and its variance among gender, race and income; the rise in obesity among children; and the Healthy People initiative that has taken flight in local communities, across the country and abroad.
After the audience enjoyed their choice of obesity-related sessions, they were directed to the Clinton Bristow, Jr. dining facility where a delicious and healthy lunch had been prepared. Keynote luncheon speaker, Dr. Victor Sutton, Director, Office of Preventive Health/MS State Department of Health, addressed stakeholders, reiterating as well as expounding upon topics addressed earlier in the day. His message resonated with the audience, who nodded in positive agreement as he passionately shared his concern, addressed the root cause of obesity and uttered his call to action in the prevention of this disease. Drs. Wanda Newell and Dalton McAfee closed the program thanking everyone in attendance for their efforts and time invested in putting this well-received conference together.
