The Concord Family YMCA extends a community-wide invitation to hear Dr. Matt Longjohn speak at the Concord City Auditorium on May 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The presentation, “5 Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle for You, Your Family and Your Community,” is free and does not require registration, but space is limited.
Everyone has heard about our nation’s obesity problem. Most know that kids are at risk and families need to take action to live healthier lives. But it’s hard to know where to start, and how to separate facts from fads.
Longjohn will offer practical, evidence-based advice about what can be done to protect families, and how to make Concord an even healthier place to live. This is a great opportunity to hear actionable guidance from an expert.
Describing himself as a “disillusioned physician,” Longjohn left the practice of medicine with an aim to address the root causes of problems that returned patients to his office time and time again.
In 2002, he co-founded the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children and worked with hundreds of partners, including a foundation directed by First Lady Michelle Obama, to tackle the Windy City’s childhood obesity problem.
Longjohn now heads the YMCA of the USA’s Chronic Disease Prevention Programs and oversees development of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. Longjohn also manages the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA cancer survivorship program, childhood obesity prevention programs and EnhanceFitness.
While New Hampshire consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in which to live, we are not immune from health problems related to too many calories and not enough exercise. A 2006 study conducted by the Foundation for Health Communities found that 32 percent of New Hampshire children were overweight or obese. The most recent Capital Area Public Health Profile by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services finds that 27 percent of Concord are adults are obese and 38 percent are overweight.
Lohnjohn’s advice will be on target for moms who want to do everything they can to get their children off to a healthy start in life and build a good foundation for the future.
The May 20 event is brought to you by the Concord Family YMCA and supported by the Capital Area Wellness Coalition and Concord Food Co-op. For additional information, contact the Concord YMCA at 228-9622 or email jdoremus@concordymca.org.
The Concord Family YMCA is a community-based, charitable, nonprofit, social service agency devoted to serving the needs of all families and all ages in the Concord area. The organization is a full service YMCA with a main facility featuring a pool, gym, fitness, and more, and an adjacent 18,000 square foot childcare facility.
The Capital Area Wellness Coalition meets in the Smile Building on the second Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. For more information, call 867-8194 or visit capwellness.org.
