Kansas Public Radio to broadcast children's health panel discussion live

LAWRENCE -- Kansas Public Radio's award-winning series "Kansas Kids: A Prescription for Change" will hold a town hall meeting in Topeka to discuss the problems of childhood obesity.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Friday, June 13, in the old Supreme Court chambers at the Kansas Statehouse. The one-hour panel discussion will be broadcast live on Kansas Public Radio: KANU 91.5-FM in Lawrence, KANH 89.7-FM in Emporia, KANV 91.3-FM in Olsburg-Junction City, and K210CR 89.9-FM in Atchison. KPR is based at the University of Kansas.

The discussion will bring together health-care experts in the field of childhood obesity and its related problems. KPR News Director J. Schafer will moderate the panel discussion. KPR Children's Health Reporter Bryan Thompson, whose "Kansas Kids" reports air Mondays during "Morning Edition," will be on the panel.

"Obesity is clearly one of the most serious long-term threats to the health and well-being of children in Kansas and nationwide," Thompson said. "Obese children are likely to remain obese as adults. That means they'll have a much greater risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. We hope the town hall meeting will stimulate a dialogue about steps that can be taken to slow down and perhaps even reverse this epidemic."

Other panelists at the town hall meeting are:

 • David A. Dzewaltowski, Manhattan, director of Extension Community Health, Kansas State University
 • Joe Donnelly, Lawrence, health, sport and exercise sciences department, University of Kansas
 • Jodi Mackey, Topeka, state director of child nutrition programs for the Kansas Department of Education
 • Monica Pierson, M.D., Kansas City, Weight Management Medical Center

The Sunflower Foundation, an underwriter for the "Kansas Kids" series, will provide food and beverages at the event.

"Overweight and obesity affects at least 25 percent of children and is rising," Donnelly said. "It is undoubtedly responsible for the exponential rise in type 2 diabetes in children. Diminished opportunities and need for physical activity and the availability of inexpensive, good-tasting, energy-dense foods presents a 'toxic environment' that predisposes individuals to overweight and obesity.

"We need ways to increase daily energy expenditure and provide alternatives to energy-dense foods. To accomplish this we will need a public-health campaign similar in scope to the anti-tobacco campaign that brings together public and private enterprise to achieve a common goal."

"Kansas Kids: A Prescription for Change" can be heard at the following times:

 • 6:40 and 8:40 a.m. Mondays on KANU 91.5-FM in Lawrence, KANH 89.7-FM in Emporia, KANV 91.3-FM in Olsburg-Junction City-Manhattan, and K210CR 89.9-FM in Atchison
 • 12.35 p.m. Saturdays on KSAL 1150-AM in Salina
 • 9:05 a.m. Sundays on KVGB 1590-AM in Great Bend
 • 8:49 a.m. Thursdays on KANZ 91.1-FM in Garden City and KZNA 90.5-FM in Hill City

All the stories in the children's health series can be heard online at www.kansaskidshealth.org.