PRESS RELEASE: November 13, 2008
CONTACT: Marjorie Arons-Barron, (617) 969-2707, aronsbarron@barronaw.com  

Poverty and Obesity: two effects of worldwide disparities
Regis College panel free and open to the public

Obesity would seem to be the result of  too much food, but  paradoxically it is also related to too little money. How is obesity related to hunger and poverty,  and what are the health issues that result from this epidemic problem?

Regis College continues its Leadership Series on Health with a discussion on Disparities in Health and Hunger on Wednesday, November 19th  from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the Upper Student Union Lounge.

Join moderator Carolyn S. Langer, MD, JD, MPH, Medical Director, Medical Management and Policy,
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and presenter Joan Y. Reede, MD, MPH, MS, Director of the  Minority Faculty Development Program, Harvard Medical School.

The panel will include:
Edward M. Augustus Jr., MA, State Senator
from Worcester
Leslie Lawrence, MSW, Associate
Director/Director of Public Policy,
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless,
Boston
Lauren A. Smith, MD, MPH, Medical Director,
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Karen Voci, MA, Executive Director of
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation

What are the political and economic cultures that affect hunger, poverty and obesity? What are the solutions? The panel will present world and national hunger statistics, related morbidity and mortality rates, and the root causes of hunger and its effect on vulnerable populations.

Other lectures in the 2008-2009 series will consider a “Massachusetts Health Care Reform Update,” (March 25, 2009) and “Autism,” (April 29,2009).

The lectures as such are free and open to the public. Pre-registration  by the Friday prior to each lecture is available, and preferred, for nurses and social workers who wish to earn free contact hours. The series is hosted in partnership with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. For more information, call 781-768-7001, or e-mail presidents.lectureseries@regiscollege.edu. Regis College is located at 235 Wellesley St., Weston.

Regis College is a Catholic co-educational community that prepares undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students for engagement and service in a changing world. In the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Nursing and Health Professions, approximately 1,600 students are enrolled in 24 undergraduate majors, graduate degree programs in education, communication, leadership and service, health product regulation, public administration and nursing, and a doctorate in nursing practice. U.S. News and World Report ranks Regis in the top tier of universities with master’s programs in the North. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) lists Regis among benchmarking colleges for the quality of educational experience. The National League of Nursing recently identified Regis College as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. The College also provides accredited pre-school and kindergarten programs, and a Life Long Learning Program (LLARC) for retired seniors. Visit Regis on the Web at www.regiscollege.edu.    Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is a full-service health benefits company serving members throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and beyond.