Cooperative Extension Staff to Focus on Obesity, Public Health
Contact: Nick Houtman, Dept. of Public Affairs, 207-581-3777
ORONO, Maine — Staff members of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will hear the latest advice on food, nutrition and physical activity at a training session March 2 at the University of Maine. News media representatives are welcome to attend and cover discussion of subjects such as different types of dietary fat, the benefits of specific fruits and vegetables and recent recommendations from the USDA and the Maine Commission on the Study of Public Health.
Maine’s First Lady, Karen Baldacci, will welcome participants and give a keynote address at 10:30 a.m. She is a registered dietician with degrees from the University of Maine in food and nutrition as well as education. She currently leads efforts to promote literacy and local agriculture and to improve school-based nutrition programs.
In sessions throughout the day, Extension faculty will address physical activity guidelines and dietary topics such fruits and vegetables, dairy products and beverages, fats and whole grains. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bangor Lounge of the Memorial Union on the UMaine campus.
The schedule will be as follows:
8:30 – 9:00 Registration and refreshments
9:00 – 9:10 Welcome, Shirley Hager, Cooperative Extension
9:10 – 9:55 Fruits and Vegetables
10:00 – 10:30 Break and Displays in the FFA Room
10:30 – 10:45 Welcome and Keynote Presentation, Karen Baldacci
10:45 – 11:30 Dairy and Beverage
11:30 – 12:15 Physical Activity
12:15 – 12:45 Lunch, Memorial Union Food Court
12:45 – 1:00 Physical Activity Break and Display Viewing
1:00 – 1:45 Fats
1:45 – 2:30 Whole Grains
2:30 – 3:00 Evaluation and Wrap- Up
Extension’s Nutrition, Food and Physical Activity Program is organizing the meeting. The program goal is to encourage Maine people to “adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors by recognizing, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight through a nutritious diet and regular physical activity.”