The 12th Annual Southern Obesity Summit is coming to Charleston, WV, October 22-24, 2018.
The Southern Obesity Summit (SOS) is the largest regional obesity prevention event in the United States, drawing hundreds of participants from 16 Southern States consisting of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Together, these states join forces to fight obesity.
The Summit is hosted by Texas Health Institute, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease, and KEYS for HealthyKids.
The Signature Sponsor is Highmark Foundation.
The Platinum Sponsor is Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
(Sponsorships are still available).
With a focus on collective impact through the lens of Health Equity; the Summit will explore system impacts:
Where we Live, Work, Learn, Eat, Play and Pray. This Summit will bring together leadership from across the south to share, learn and develop strategies for positive change around obesity prevention.
- Participants from 16 southern states will convene to publicize effective and emerging obesity prevention practices in the region and energize grassroots efforts in each state.
- Attendees will include policymakers, leaders from community-based organizations, federal and state government officials, health care providers, non-profits, youth and members from national and state associations.
- SOS is a great opportunity for regional partnering, and provides each state access to technical assistance through learning collaboratives.
- The three-day conference offers networking opportunities, fast paced breakout sessions, workgroup meetings, and plenary sessions that will focus on cross-state collaboration, best practices and significant leadership in obesity prevention.
- For the past five years, the Summit has spotlighted strategies having the most impact on obesity prevention under the pillars of:
Early Childcare | Food Access | Nutrition | Schools | Healthcare | Physical Activity | Worksite Wellness
This year the Summit is focusing on the infrastructure and processes necessary to implement policy and practice in an effective manner with a result of positive system change, and an outcome of health equity.
The 12th Annual Southern Obesity Summit has an overarching goal:
- Help stakeholders strategize next steps to implement policy and program initiatives across all 16 states to support obesity prevention, decreasing health disparities and improving health equity.
The Summit continues to support the following objectives to achieving these goals:
- Promote cross-sector collaboration and partnerships to prevent obesity
- Provide opportunities for practitioners to share successful policy and community-based intervention strategies
- Further define a Southern Strategy to encourage effective inter-state initiatives and collaboration
The Summit will be held in the Charleston Civic Center.
Continuing Education Credits will be provided!
Application in process for Physician, Nursing, Dietician, and CHES continuing education credits!
