WebMD to Host Town Hall on Children's Health with First Lady Michelle Obama

NEW YORK and MIAMI, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- WebMD Health Corp. (Nasdaq: WBMD), the leading source of health information, announced today it is hosting a WebMD Town Hall with First Lady Michelle Obama on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, at a YMCA in Homestead, Fla. The event recognizing the second anniversary of the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative will provide families with simple tips on how to implement healthy changes in their daily lives. WebMD's panel of health and wellness experts will join Mrs. Obama to answer questions from WebMD's national audience of parents and parents attending the live event.

WebMD and Let's Move! support a common goal of a healthy and fit lifestyle for families to help combat childhood obesity. At "WebMD Town Hall: Simple Tips for Healthy Families," the First Lady will answer questions along with pediatrician Dr. Hansa Bhargava, WebMD medical editor in pediatrics and director of fit; Elizabeth Ward, RD, WebMD nutritionist; Kathleen Zelman, RD, WebMD's director of nutrition; and Jim Kauffman, YMCA fitness expert.  

"As the leading source of health information for consumers and professionals and a free source of trusted information on children's health and wellness, WebMD is proud to be hosting the First Lady for a WebMD Town Hall discussion on helping families make healthy choices," said Dr. Hansa Bhargava, a pediatrician and WebMD medical editor, pediatrics. "Children need a balanced lifestyle based on a holistic approach that considers food and exercise and also incorporates the need for rest so that kids have the energy to move and eat right."

At the heart of WebMD's focus on family health is fit, an initiative sponsored by and designed in collaboration with Sanford Health, a leader in children's health. Fit combines the latest scientific and behavioral research with activities, recipes and games that families can participate in for a healthier lifestyle. Fit is the only children's health resource with information specific to a child's age that also offers complementary information for parents. By learning about healthy lifestyles on WebMD, kids can motivate parents too. WebMD's free, online children's health resources are available 24/7 and include fit Junior: ages 2-7, fit Kids: ages 8-12, fit Teen: ages 13-18, as well as a destination for parents called Raising Fit Kids. Kids can play games, earn cool rewards, and start living a fit lifestyle.

To participate in the WebMD Town Hall, parents can submit questions prior to Feb. 10 at www.webmd.com/townhall. For more information on Sanford Health and WebMD's children's health information, please visit our fit sites at www.fit.webmd.com. Parents can go to www.webmd.com/raisingfitkids for insights and advice, and to interact with leading experts in childhood obesity and healthy living on the WebMD blog.

This event is being held at a Miami-area YMCA because of the organization's dedication to keeping our nation's kids healthy. In November 2011, the YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development and healthy living and one of the nation's largest child-care providers, announced that it is adopting a set of standards to ensure its programs offer children fruits, vegetables and water as snacks and adequate physical activity while children are in their care.

About WebMD
WebMD Health Corp. (Nasdaq: WBMD) is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms and health-focused publications. The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, emedicineHealth, RxList, theheart.org and Medscape Education. Fit (http://fit.webmd.com) is an educational partnership with Sanford Health, the largest, rural, not-for-profit healthcare system in the nation and WebMD, to promote children's health, nutrition and fitness through online resources for parents, children and healthcare professionals. Fit is designed to educate, motivate and inspire kids to make healthier choices and develop healthier habits over time as a mechanism to prevent obesity.

SOURCE WebMD Health Corp.