Diabetes, Obesity Among Topics at UW-Madison Healthy Classrooms Symposium

Madison, Wisconsin - Using the classroom as a place where schoolchildren can learn healthy lifestyles that can be continued into adulthood will be the focus of the third annual Healthy Classroom Symposium, 5pm Wednesday at the Health Sciences Learning Center, 750 Highland Ave., adjacent to University of Wisconsin Hospital.

The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will feature panels discussing the latest research on child health, and how teachers can incorporate it into the classroom.

Discussion topics will include diabetes and obesity prevention, mental health treatment, public health of Latino students, and developing healthy classroom settings for gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

This year's keynote speaker will be Dr. David Rakel, founder of the program in integrative medicine at UW Health and assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

The event is sponsored by the Healthy Classrooms Foundation, a non-profit group run by students at the School of Medicine and Public Health. The group offers grants to support school-based initiatives that focus on fitness and nutrition, environmental responsibility and developmental well-being.

In its first two years, the symposium has attracted up to 300 participants, including teachers, health professionals and other community members.