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The Wednesday, March 14 forum will be held in the Chesaning Middle School Media Center, starting at 7 p.m.

Barbara Flis, founder of Parent Action for Healthy Kids, will facilitate the workshop. She will discuss the benefits of the school wellness policy and give parents tips to help them keep their families healthy and strong.

Flis currently serves as chair of the Schools Committee for the Michigan Surgeon General's Michigan Steps Up Campaign. In June 2005, Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed her to coordinate the Talk Early and Talk Often parent education initiative. Her grassroots PTA experiences reinforce her belief that parents can be powerful partners when it comes to the health of their children.

School district wellness policies include goals for nutrition education, physical activity, nutrition program guidelines and more. Child health advocates say parents must take an active role in the movement toward healthy eating and exercise.

According to the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

Nearly 80% of young people don't eat recommended amounts of fruits & vegetables.

85% of adolescent girls don't consume enough calcium.

Milk consumption has decreased 36% among adolescent girls over the past 25 years.

Soft drink consumption almost doubled among adolescent girls and nearly tripled among adolescent boys over the past 25 years.

Almost one-third of students don't receive recommended amounts of moderate and vigorous physical activity.

The workshop will encourage parents and caregivers to role model healthy behaviors, and to make healthy eating and physical activity easy for all family members.

For more information, contact Barbara Flis at barb@parentactionforhealthykids.org or (248) 538-7786.