Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Family Wellness Tour Stops in Rocky Mount

Rocky Mount, NC—In response to growing concerns about obesity, Congressman G. K. Butterfield and the Congressional Black Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. will host a health education event at the OIC Auditorium on Saturday, July 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"If we don't act now, our children and grandchildren are going to continue to eat poorly, exercise less, and suffer adverse health consequences," Butterfield said reflecting on the startling statistics estimating that 77% of African American women and 61% of African American men are considered overweight or obese.

The event is being presented in collaboration with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals and General Mills and is part of Black Health Empowerment Project (BHEP), a national obesity education and health promotion initiative designed to educate African Americans about the relationship between obesity and chronic health conditions.

The interactive community health event, moderated by Gayle Hurd of the Radio One Group, will include the Healthy Living Talk Show; cooking and fitness demonstrations; nutritious food tasting; health seminars; fun activities for children and giveaways. A host of exhibitors will provide vital health-enhancing information to attendees as well as free health screenings.

"The overall health of African Americans has reached a critical state," said CBCF President Dr. Don Tharpe. "As a nonprofit organization dedicated to effecting positive and sustainable change in the African American community, CBCF has taken on the task of educating its constituency about the lifestyle changes we must make to build and sustain healthy families and healthy communities," he added.

The BHEP initiative signals a partnership between the public and private sectors—a collaboration that is crucial to fighting the obesity epidemic. Included among the experts participating in the event will be Lindsey Williams, celebrity chef and author of Neo Soul; Theresa Alston, motivational fitness instructor and on-air personality, Soul 92 Jams; and, representatives from many health-based community organizations, including University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the Area L AHEC Learning Institute, the North Carolina Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities.

"We must all be committed to improving the health of our communities, and the BHEP initiative is a perfect example of that commitment," said Rich Buckley, vice president of government affairs for AstraZeneca. "AstraZeneca is dedicated to providing individuals with the information and tools that will empower families to take charge of their health."

The event will be held at 402 E. Virginia Street in the historic Booker T. Washington facility. Event registration begins at 9:30am. Rocky Mount will be the sixth stop on the 2006 tour, which is expected to visit several cities across the country. For additional information about this BHEP event, call (866) 447-7103 or visit <http://cbcfinc.org/Public Health/powertour/registration_bhep.html> online.

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