Washington, DC ? With childhood obesity on the rise nationally, many local governments are searching for ways to tackle one of the country?s most important public health issues. In an upcoming audio conference sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC), city leaders from around the nation will hear about innovative practices for addressing childhood obesity, specifically how they can use the resources offered through their parks and recreation departments.

WHAT: Using Parks and Recreation Departments to Combat Youth Obesity Audio Conference

WHO:  Jane Adams, Executive Director of the California Parks and Recreation Society
            Kathy Spangler, Director of National Partnerships for the National Recreation and Park Association
            Paul Widman, Assistant Director, Metro Board of Parks and Recreation Cultural and Wellness Division,
            Nashville, TN
            Susan O' Connor, Recreation Director, South Bend Parks and Recreation Department, South Bend, IN

WHEN: Thursday, April 20, 2006, 4:00 p.m.

DETAILS:  For media registration and call-in numbers, contact the NLC Office of Media Relations or e-mail your name, title, and organization to Latricia Good at good@nlc.org.

NOTE: Reporters are invited to listen in but are asked not to ask questions during the call. If you are interested in speaking with any of the panelists, contact the NLC Office of Media Relations to set up an interview anytime before or after the audio conference.

Among children aged 6 to 11, obesity rates have more than doubled in the past 20 years, rising from 7 percent in 1980 to 16 percent in 2002. For teenagers aged 12 to 19, rates have more than tripled, increasing from 5 percent to 16 percent. One way to address this growing public health concern is through local parks and recreation departments, which provide low-cost physical activity programs and community meeting places.

The audio conference is sponsored by NLC?s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute), with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more information, go to www.nlc.org.

The National League of Cities is the nation?s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 U.S. cities, towns and villages, which collectively serve 225 million people. To learn more about NLC?s YEF Institute childhood obesity initiative, visit www.nlc.org/iyef/.