Contact: Erika Martinez
(505)986-4819
Erika.Martinez@nmlegis.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2014
Senator Benny Shendo to Present to Congress on Childhood Obesity Prevention in Washington D.C.
Santa Fe, NM – Senator Benny Shendo (D-22- Bernalillo, McKinley, Rio Arriba, San Juan & Sandoval) has been invited to be a key speaker at the Leadership for Healthy Communities congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on October 1, 2014. According to the invitation sent to Sen. Shendo, the event will be focused on strategies to prevent childhood obesity in rural communities. The briefing is designed “to engage members of Congress and their staff in a discussion about the state of obesity among rural Americans, the unique challenges faced by rural communities, as well as the strategies that have worked at the state and local levels to improve rural health.”
“Being invited to be a part of an event, focused on such an important issue, to congress is an honor,” said Sen. Shendo. “Inviting state and local officials to speak about the challenges they face within their communities to address childhood obesity is vital to the implementation of national programs that make our country healthier. The youth of this country need to have access to proper nutrition and need to be prepared so that they can work to maintain a healthy lifestyle as they grow into adults.”
According to the invitation, representatives from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recommended that Sen. Shendo speak at the event because of the healthy eating and active living (HEAL) policy work taking place in the Pueblo of Jemez, Sen. Shendo’s hometown. The invitation requests that Sen. Shendo speak specifically about the policy strategies implemented in Pueblo of Jemez to increase access to healthy food, increase physical activity and support infrastructure for healthy living for rural residents in New Mexico.
“I’m truly excited to present on the advances we’ve made in the Pueblo to Congress and to engage on a level that will be beneficial to many of my constituents and to many citizens from all around rural New Mexico and rural areas all around the country,” added Sen. Shendo.
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