Georgia Health Policy Center’s Debra Kibbe to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

ATLANTA — Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) senior research associate Debra Kibbe will be presented the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award on Jan. 23 at the first event of GHPC’s 25^th anniversary speaker and film series, Confronting Childhood Obesity: 25 Years of Action in Georgia. Kibbe was one of five named nationally to receive the award.

The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (PCSFN) award recognizes Kibbe’s contributions to the advancement and promotion of physical activity, fitness and nutrition for children for more than 20 years in Georgia, throughout the country and across the globe.

“Reflective of the multiple drivers of childhood obesity, Debbie’s career has addressed a wide range of people, policies and places that influence what foods and opportunities for physical activity are available to children,” said Julie Teer, chief development and public affairs officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of America and a PCSFN board member.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of America serve millions of young people, and we know all too well how important it is for them to have access to healthy meals and physical activity during the out-of-school time. We thank Debbie for her service advocating for kids in Georgia and around the world to have a healthier future.”

Georgia has emerged as a national leader in creating public-private solutions to an epidemic of childhood obesity with dire, long-term consequences.

Kibbe will be honored as part of GHPC’s year-long anniversary celebration recognizing the center’s 25 years of work in child health and well-being.

“Every kid that gets healthier is a win,” said Kibbe. “There are an estimated 13.7 million children in the United States that are obese. No other health concern impacts so many children. To address obesity and inactivity, we need all hands on deck.”

The GHPC event at which Kibbe will receive her award, Confronting Childhood Obesity, will include a town-hall style discussion of how Georgia can continue being an innovator, including in school-based efforts. It will feature:

• Stephanie Walsh, M.D. (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta)
• John Bare, Ph.D. (Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation)
• Panelists showcasing community coalition-driven solutions to childhood obesity:
  • Vanetta Keyes, from C.H.O.I.C.E.S. for Kids Atlanta
  • Paula Kreissler, from Health Savannah
  • Jim Lidstone, Ph.D., from Live Healthy Baldwin
  • Zoe Myers, from Cook County Family Connection

For more information about the event, go to https://ghpc.gsu.edu/2019/12/19/confronting-childhood-obesity-25-years-of-action-in-georgia-2/.