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Obesity Society officials said Monday they were pleased the RepublicanNational Convention's Platform Committee responded to their urging thatobesity be addressed in the platform. The Platform awaits ratification by thefull convention.
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The language states that in many cases, preventable conditions are drivinghealth care costs, consuming three of every four health care dollars. Theplatform calls for increased personal responsibility within a culture ofwellness, while increasing access to preventive services, including improvednutrition and breakthrough medications that keep people healthy and out of thehospital. "We call for a national grassroots campaign against obesity,especially among children. We call for continuation of efforts to decrease useof tobacco, especially among the young," it states.
The Obesity Society, the leading professional and scientific organizationdedicated to the study of obesity, announced that its forum will hold itspolicy forum as planned at the 2008 Republican National Convention. LesleyStahl of CBS' 60 Minutes will moderate and headliners will include former HHSSecretary Tommy G. Thompson on behalf of the McCain Presidential Campaign;former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee; and New Hampshire State Senator BobClegg.
The forum will be open to the media, delegates and the general public. Itwill be held on September 2nd from 8 AM until 12:30 PM at the historic JamesL. Hill Research Library Reading Room, located on 80 West 4th Street, (NOTE:Convention credentials are not necessary but guests should bring a copy of theinvitation or press release and a photo ID due to convention security.)
Thompson is scheduled to speak at 9:30 a.m. CT; Clegg at 10:00 a.m.; andHuckabee at 10:20 a.m.
The forum will also include the most prominent experts in the field ofobesity, including Executive Vice President Morgan Downey and Dr. CarolineApovian of the Obesity Society, Dr. Michael Jensen of the Mayo Clinic, and Dr.Charles Billington and Dr. Allen Levine of the University of Minnesota. EricFinkelstein, PhD, a health economist in RTI's Public Health Economics Program,will also make a presentation.
The forum, entitled "The Challenge of Obesity for Policy Makers:Recommendations for the Next Administration," will be co-sponsored by theUniversity of Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic, George Washington University and theUniversity of Colorado. It follows a similar forum held at the DemocraticNational Convention in Denver on August 25.
Morgan Downey, Executive Vice President of the Society said, "We weregratified both the Democratic and Republican Platform Committees have includedobesity in their platform for the first time. (For details, go towww.obesity.org)
SOURCE The Obesity Society
