A forum on the promotion of healthier lifestyles, titled "The Governor's Summit on Healthy Virginians," began yesterday at various stations around Grounds and will end today at 3 p.m. with an address by Gov. Mark R. Warner.
"We chose the University as the location for the conference because we felt that it was centrally located to allow access for people from all across the state," said Karen Rheuben, senior associate dean of external affairs and continuing education. "We are also partners with all the other groups. And also, there are Mr. Jefferson's ideals about health."
The conference brings together more than 400 individuals from across Virginia interested in the promotion of healthy living in the Commonwealth. Through group discussions and project presentations, summit participants are able to exchange ideas and assess information regarding the state of Virginians' health.
"This is an excellent opportunity for us all to interact with other people in the community," said Milagros Huerta, medical director of the Children's Fitness Clinic. "We can put our efforts together and complement each other as opposed to all competing or doing the same thing."
Various members of the University medical community were on hand yesterday to speak about their areas of expertise.
Last summer, Internal Medicine Prof. Ross B. Issacs joined Remote Area Medical as a volunteer doctor, traveling to Wise and many other low-income areas in southern and western parts of the Commonwealth.
"On average, we see that Virginia is doing pretty well compared to the rest of the country," Issacs said. "But when we look at certain parts of the state, we see that there is a great disparity. For example, in Wise we found that 69 percent of the people were overweight, and 60 percent had hypertension."
Issacs and the rest of the RAM volunteers delivered almost $1 million in free service to people in Wise alone. Issacs said he realized that a one-time visit was not enough to solve the area's health problems.
"It's not perfect, but it's a start," he said. "I would be thrilled to have anyone and everyone participate in this program."
Although only University medical and nursing students have worked with RAM, Issacs said the program would be interested in having any student who is truly interested in the cause volunteer their time.
"This is not a party experience," he said. "You work pretty much from six until six, but it is an excellent opportunity for U.Va. students to see how non-U.Va. students live."
Anne M. Wolf, instructor of health evaluation sciences at the University, spoke about preventing obesity from an economic perspective.
She said the direct cost of obesity in Virginia is $1.64 billion annually, which equals 5.7 percent of total adult medical expenditures. She added that 42 percent is financed by Medicare and Medicaid.
"Healthcare costs are increased among the obese and increase with the degree of obesity," she said. "That's what's driving healthcare costs."
She compared the health of people with normal body mass index to those who are severely obese and found that only 18.9 percent of the former group is considered of poor health, as opposed to 40.2 percent of the latter group.
She concluded by emphasizing the need for consistent, targeted messaging and coordination of efforts to prevent and cure obesity.
University professor emeritus Richard Lindsay spoke about the aging population and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise and nutrition.
"Walking decreases cardiovascular risks, regardless of race, age and body mass," Lindsay said. "It's an amazing, effective thing."
All participants will come together today to share their findings in moderated discussions for the development of recommendations.
"The overall goal of this conference is to bring together people with interest in the health of Virginia," Rheuban said. "We want to develop a model program looking at smoking reduction, weight management and increased exercise."
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