Local Community Takes the Call to Action from HBO's Weight of the Nation Plea

Communications Director

Kristin Farley
[email protected]
(865) 215-2589

400 Main St., Room 691
Knoxville, TN 37902

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Local Community Takes the Call to Action from HBO's Weight of the Nation Plea

Posted: 09/17/2012
 Local and national experts are coming together on Sept. 24 to address the obesity crisis. Taking a cue from the HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation, a Community Forum and Expert Discussion Panel will be held that Monday at the Knox County Health Department Auditorium, 140 Dameron Avenue, from 7- 9 p.m. The event is free and the public is invited. Parking is also free and convenient.

In May, HBO released a four-part documentary called The Weight of the Nation, which detailed the truths and challenges of this country's obesity epidemic. More than a documentary, the series was a plea for community members, policy makers, and health leaders to wake up and face the harsh consequences of American society's choices.

As part of its message, The Weight of the Nation project has asked for action to be taken at the individual, family, community, and national levels. The Knoxville-Knox County community is coming together to present and discuss different perspectives on the problem.

The Weight of the Nation Community Forum & Expert Discussion Panel is being moderated by Paul Erwin, MD, DrPH. Dr. Erwin is the Head of the Public Health Department at the University of Tennessee. Expert panelists include Stephanie Welch, MS, RD, LDN, Community Development and Planning director at Knox County Health Department, Dr. Michael Zemel, Professor Emeritus, University of Tennessee, Lynn Castle, PA-C, University Surgery Associates, Dr. Anita Johnston, senior clinical consultant for Moonpointe: A Focus Treatment Centers Intensive Outpatient Center for Eating Disorders, and Vickey Beard, director of Healthy Living, YMCA of East Tennessee.

This event is co-sponsored by Knox County Health Department, the YMCA of East Tennessee, and Moonpointe: A Focus Treatment Centers Intensive Outpatient Program for Eating Disorders.