Former U.S. Secretaries of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala and Mike Leavitt and Former Secretaries of Agriculture Dan Glickman and Ann M. Veneman to Lead Discussion on Nutrition Education and Physical Fitness Issues at University of Miami as part of the Bipartisan Policy Center's New Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative

Special Remarks to be given by South Beach Diet Author and Cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the University of Miami will jointly host a public forum on the importance of nutrition education and physical activity on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the University of Miami's Newman Alumni Center.

Today, more than one-third of adults and 17 percent of children in the United States are obese. This forum is part of the BPC's new year-long Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative. The initiative is focusing on improving nutrition education, developing mechanisms to promote access to healthy food choices, examining the role of institutional players and opportunities for partnerships between the public and private sectors, and removing obstacles to increased physical activity in the U.S.

The forum will feature the BPC's Nutrition and Physical Activity co-chairs former Secretaries of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala and Mike Leavitt and former Secretaries of Agriculture Dan Glickman and Ann M. Veneman, as well as leading health care experts from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and School of Education. Remarks will also be given by nationally known author of The South Beach Diet, Dr. Arthur Agatston.  

The University of Miami's Newman Alumni Center is located at 6200 San Amaro Drive on the Coral Gables campus.

Members of the media wishing to attend, please RSVP to [email protected]. Press set-up begins at 4:00 p.m..

Forum Speakers and Participants to Include:

Welcome
Former Secretary of Health and Human Services and University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala

Overview on Initiative and Obesity Issue in America
Former Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman

Panel Discussion on Physical Activity and Nutrition
Dr. Pascal J. Goldschmidt, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine SVP for Medical Affairs, Dean, and Cardiologist;
Dr. Arlette Perry, UM Chair of Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences;
Dr. Evadnie Rampersaud, MSPH, Research Assistant Professor, UM Department of Human Genetics;
Dr. Sylvia Daunert, UM Chair of Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology;
Dr. Tracie Miller, UM Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Clinical Pediatric Research; Dr. Natalie Geary, Director of Executive Medicine

Special Remarks by Dr. Arthur Agatston
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Preventive Cardiologist, and Author of The South Beach Diet

Panel Discussion on the Issues with Initiative Co-Chairs
Former U.S. Cabinet Secretaries Donna E. Shalala, Mike Leavitt, Dan Glickman, and Ann M. Veneman
Moderated by Dr. Agatston

*PRIOR TO THE FORUM: The initiative co-chairs Secretaries Shalala, Leavitt, Glickman and Veneman will spend the day touring various facilities in the Miami area and learning about local programs helping the community improve its nutrition and fitness levels. This tour is open to the media. Please contact Joann Donnellan at [email protected]  if you are interested in covering the tour.

The forum and site visits in Miami are the first of many to be held around the country by the BPC's Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative. The initiative was launched on March 28, 2011 in Washington, DC. Throughout 2011, the co-chairs will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to highlight important elements of the national conversation around the issues of nutrition education, physical fitness, access, and the role of institutional players. They will promote existing policies, programs, and best practices that can attract bipartisan support and create a foundation for collaborative action.  The initiative will culminate with the release of a set of policy recommendations for the administration, Congress, and the private sector to consider

About the University of Miami
The University of Miami's mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of our diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. www.miami.edu.

About the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, founded in 1952, was the first medical school in the state of Florida.  The Miller School of Medicine is located on the 100-acre University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center complex in Miami.  The medical center includes three University-owned hospitals that make up the University of Miami Health System (UHealth):  University of Miami Hospital, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.  Our three primary affiliated hospitals on the campus include Jackson Memorial Hospital, Holtz Children's Hospital and the Miami VA Medical Center.  Miller School faculty members conduct more than 1,700 research projects in basic science and clinical care.  

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:
In 2007, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell formed the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to develop and promote solutions that can attract the public support and political momentum to achieve real progress. Currently, the BPC focuses on issues including health care, energy, national and homeland security, transportation and economic policy. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/. 

CONTACT: Ashley Clark, BPC Press Secretary, +1-202-637-1456, [email protected], or Margot Winick, UM Media Relations, +1-305-284-5500, [email protected]

SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center