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PHA’s Inaugural ‘Building a Healthier Future’ Summit Sells Out

Facebook page launched to track conversation and speakers including First Lady Michelle Obama, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and other Leaders Committed to Ending Childhood Obesity Epidemic

WASHINGTON, DC (November 21, 2011) – The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which works with its honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama and the private sector to end the childhood obesity epidemic in the U.S., announced today that their Building a Healthier Future Summit has reached capacity. A Facebook page has been launched for attendees and those interested to follow the discussion at http://tinyurl.com/6s57k7n.

“Even though we had to close registration, we wanted to provide everyone an opportunity to participate,” said the Partnership’s spokesperson Drew Nannis. “Our new Facebook page and the corresponding Building a Healthier Future event page will allow people to join the discussion from both inside and outside the event; anyone can also follow the conversation on Twitter by searching #PHASummit. Ending this epidemic is critical for the health of our nation and we need everyone involved.”

The Building a Healthier Future Summit’s goal is to provide a unique opportunity where business and industry leaders can sit with their nonprofit, academic and government counterparts and address the paramount issue affecting children’s health today.

The Summit will feature speakers including PHA’s honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as its honorary vice chairmen former Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist, MD and Newark Mayor Cory Booker. In addition, private sector leaders from all industries will be announcing new commitments while current PHA partners will be proving updates on their progress.

The Summit also includes the Great American Family Dinner Challenge. The Challenge pairs James Beard Award-winning chefs Tom Colicchio and Maria Hines against Holly Smith and Ming Tsai to cook a healthy dinner for two real families on a SNAP (food stamp) budget. Sam Kass, the White House assistant chef and senior policy advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, will emcee the challenge.

The Summit dinner for attendees will also feature James Beard Award winners and nominees. Floyd Cardoz, Koren Grieveson, Michel Nischan and Anne Quatrano were all challenged to prepare three healthy courses on a tight budget.

Media interested in covering the plenary sessions or attending media availabilities should contact PHA for credentials by emailing news@ahealthieramerica.org.

Media interested in attending dinner and covering the Great American Family Dinner Challenge must RSVP to PHA by Nov. 23 by emailing news@ahealthieramerica.org. Seating is limited and will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased, third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.