A highlight of the Summit takes place on Tuesday, June 20, when students confront a panel of food, nutrition, and medical experts. Armed with six-months of research, the students present the panel with an array of tough questions. This year’s panel includes:

• Rhona Applebaum, Ph.D., Chief Regulatory Officer, The Coca-Cola Company
  
  
• Rebecca L. Biga, Ph.D., RD, LD, Research Scientist, Scientific Affairs & Research and Development, Pediatrics, Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories
  
  
• Dr. James Bogden, Project Director, National Association of School Boards of Education
  
  
• Natalie Boyer, Health Coordinator, Summit School District
  
  
• Dr. Deanne Brandstetter, Director of Nutrition, Compass Group
  
  
• Mitch Kanter, Director of Nutrition, Cargill
  
  
• Robert Kuczmarski, Ph.D., Public Health, Director of Obesity Prevention & Treatment Program, National Institutes of Health
  
  
• Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
  
  
• J. Rodger Steeper, MD, Internal Medicine, Denver, Colorado
  
  
• Bertrand Weber, Director of Royal Cuisine, Hopkins Schools
  

NCSSSMST schools participating in the 2006 Youth Policy Summit include:

• Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, Mobile, Alabama
  
  
• Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, Hot Springs, Arkansas
  
  
• Center for Advanced Technologies, St. Petersburg, Florida
  
  
• Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, Conyers, Georgia
  
  
• Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Aurora, Illinois
  
  
• Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Maryland
  
  
• Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center, Battle Creek, Michigan
  
  
• Lakeshore HS Mathematics and Science Center, Stevensville, Michigan
  
  
• Conroe ISD Academy of Science and Technology, Houston, Texas
  
  
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia

Sponsors of the 2006 Summit include Abbott Laboratories, The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, Cargill, ConAgra Foods and Compass Group.

Childhood obesity is increasingly a topic of public conversation and concern in the U.S. According to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine, obesity among children and youth has more than tripled over the past four decades. More than 9 million U.S. children and youth are obese and another 15 percent are at risk for becoming obese. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes among children and youth has more than doubled in the past decade.

In recognition of The Keystone Center’s role in addressing this important topic, The Keystone Center recently received a $500,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to facilitate a dialogue on the role of marketing and advertising in the problem of obesity. The 14-month project will conclude in June 2007.

Youth Policy Summit 2006 Panel of Experts

Rhona S. Applebaum, PhD
Chief Regulatory Officer
The Coca-Cola Company
Rhona S. Applebaum, Ph.D. serves as Chief Regulatory Officer for The Coca-¬Cola Company where she leads Scientific and Regulatory Affairs (SRA). The SRA department is responsible for sponsoring scientific research, communicating regulatory policy, providing systems guidance on regulatory, safety and health issues and working with other groups in industry, government and academia. SRA also provides greater business leadership on critical scientific and regulatory issues. Prior to her appointment at The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Applebaum was Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer for the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) where she was responsible for the overall direction of NFPA’s three laboratory centers, regulatory and international affairs – including NFPA-Asia, the Association’s regional office in Bangkok, Thailand – the Office of Food Safety Programs, NFPA’s Research Foundation and the Association’s Membership Department. She served as NFPA’s chief scientific spokesperson on a variety of issues including nutrition and health, food safety, biotechnology and food security.Dr. Applebaum served as a member of FDA’s Food Advisory Committee, USDA’s Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC), and the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade (ATAC) for animal and animal products. Dr. Applebaum previously held leadership roles with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, the National Confectioners Association, and the American Cocoa Research Institute. Dr. Applebaum received her undergraduate degree from Wilson College in history and biology, her M.S. in nutrition and food science from Drexel University and her Ph.D. in food microbiology form the University of Wisconsin. She has authored/co-authored numerous scientific publications.

Rebecca L Biga, PhD, RD, LD
Research Scientist, Ross Products, Division of Abbott Laboratories Research and Development
Scientific Affairs, Pediatric Research and Development
Dr. Biga is an epidemiologist with specialization in nutrition, preventive medicine, and cardiovascular disease, and a registered and licensed dietitian. As a scientist at Ross products, Dr. Biga has been involved in innovation, research, strategic planning, and medical affairs, in the adult and pediatric business units. She is currently in Pediatric Research and Development focusing on child nutrition. Prior to joining Ross Products, Dr. Biga was on faculty at The Ohio State University where she developed and taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Pediatric Nutrition and Complementary and Alterative Medicine. Dr. Biga earned a PhD in Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health with a major in Epidemiology at the University of Iowa and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology Training Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a recipient of a National Research Service Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Her MS degree in Allied Health Sciences Education and Dietetic Internship were completed at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis. Her BS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics is from the University of Dayton. Dr Biga has experience in academic, clinical, and research dietetics, and with large, national, multi-center clinical trials. She has been a guest lecturer at the Intensive Course in Pediatric Nutrition at the University of Iowa and has presented scientific and educational seminars for a variety of health professionals and lay audiences.

James F. Bogden, MPH
Safe and Healthy Schools Project Director
National Association of State Boards of Education
Jim Bogden has worked with the National Association of State Boards of Education since 1991. He assists state-level education decision makers to develop and implement policies relating to school health programs and is the primary author of several of NASBE’s widely-regarded publications, including Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn: A School Health Policy Guide; Someone at School has AIDS; and How Schools Work and How to Work with Schools. Mr. Bogden graduated with a Master’s of Public Health degree in Community Health Education from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991. He previously spent ten years working in education in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean. He is originally from Oregon and lives in Washington, DC.

Natalie Boyer, MPH
District Health Director
Summit School District
Natalie received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Political Science and Economics. After taking several graduate classes on the Boulder Campus and at the Health Sciences Center, she went on to earn her Masters of Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado. Natalie has worked in the non-profit world for most of her career. She was the youth development programs director for a non-profit business and education coalition in Denver for over five years. Natalie then moved to Boulder County to work for the Boulder Valley School District and coordinated a family advocacy program which helped families connect with local services and programs to improve a student's ability to learn and grow. Currently, Natalie is the District Health Director for Summit School District. She oversees the resources for three school based health centers, facilitated the Local Wellness Policy development, is in charge of the K-12 Physical Education and Health Education curriculum review, coordinates the Health Advisory Board, and implements the Coordinated School Health initiative for eight schools. When she is not working, she is enjoying the great outdoors of Summit County. Natalie spends much of her free time with her son and their golden retriever.

Deanne Brandstetter, MBA, RD
Director of Nutrition
Compass Group, The Americas
Deanne Brandstetter, M.B.A., R.D. has over twenty five years of experience in the food and nutrition business. Educational credentials include a B.S. in Nutrition from Miami University, a dietetic internship at The Massachusetts General Hospital, and an M.B.A. from Pace University. Deanne is a Registered Dietitian, holds a New York State license as a Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist, and is Serve-Safe certified. She spent 15 years as a food service and nutrition consultant to individuals, private schools, hospices, fitness/ wellness centers and food manufacturers. Since joining Flik International Corp, a division of Compass Group, as Corporate Nutrition Specialist in 1996, Deanne has coordinated wellness programs for over 200 of Flik’s foodservice clients and directed the nutrition program for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah as part of the Compass Olympics Lead Management Team. In May of 2004, Deanne was promoted to the newly created position of Compass Group Nutrition Director where she has developed an innovative cross-sector nutrition and wellness program for Compass Group, The Americas. Deanne’s marketing background and passion for great food has fueled her goal of creatively translating medical and nutrition science into innovative exciting food concepts for Compass Group customers. She earned an American Culinary Federation Silver medal for Healthy Cuisine, has authored numerous articles for professional and trade journal and has presented programs at the Society for Foodservice Management, the American Dietetic Association, Foodservice Director magazine Menu Directions, Field to Plate-France and the CIA Greystone World of Healthy Flavors conferences. Deanne is a member of the NRA Nutrition Executive Study Group, the Nations Restaurant News/ Kraft Foods Health and Nutrition Advisory Board and the FDA/ Keystone Forum on Away-From-Home Foods: Opportunities for Preventing Weight Gain and Obesity.

Mitch Kanter, PhD
Director of Nutrition
Cargill
Mitch Kanter serves as the Director of Nutrition in Cargill’s Food Technology Development Center, as well as Director of Venturing for Cargill’s Food System Design Platform. In these roles, Dr. Kanter serves as a corporate health and nutrition resource, as well as a technical resource for Cargill’s Venture Capital Business Unit. Dr. Kanter has worked for Cargill for four years. Prior to joining Cargill, he served as the Director of Nutrition Science for The General Mills Company (2 years), and as Director of Nutrition and Director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute for the Quaker Oats Company (10 years). Dr. Kanter received his Ph.D. in Physiology from The Ohio State University. He also holds an MS in Nutrition and a BS in Health from Queens College in New York. Dr. Kanter also served as an NIH Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Robert Kuczmarski, Dr. PH
Director of the Obesity Prevention and Treatment Program, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
National Institutes of Health
In this position, he helps to plan and direct a program of clinical research on the biomedical, behavioral, societal, and environmental approaches to the prevention and treatment of obesity and inappropriate weight gain. This is accomplished through the administration of grants and the development of initiatives in research areas including research on physical activity and obesity, environmental influences on obesity-promoting behaviors, such as poor diet and inactivity, and prevention and treatment of obesity in populations at high risk for overweight and obesity. Prior to joining NIH, he was employed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1985 to 2001, with responsibility for the anthropometric component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and issues related to the assessment of growth, overweight/obesity, and body composition. Dr. Kuczmarski had lead responsibility for coordinating revision of the NCHS/CDC pediatric growth charts, including development of the new body mass index-for-age growth charts used to assess overweight in the pediatric population.

Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH, RD
Professor, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Adjunct Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Minnesota
Dr. Neumark-Sztainer’s research interests focus mainly on adolescent nutrition and the prevention of weight-related disorders including eating disorders, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and obesity. She is interested in exploring the potential for integrating obesity and eating disorder prevention through intervention, epidemiological, and qualitative studies. She has been Principal Investigator on a number of projects aimed at preventing risk factors for obesity and eating disorders in youth including The Weigh to Eat, Free to be Me, New Moves, and Very Important Kids. Dr. Neumark-Sztainer is the Principal Investigator of Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of eating patterns and weight-related concerns in a large sample of adolescents. She has examined disordered eating among youth with chronic illness as part of the AHEAD study (Assessing Health and Eating among Adolescents with Diabetes). She has also examined issues of weight stigmatization among overweight teens. Dr. Neumark-Sztainer has written several book chapters and has published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Journal of Adolescent Health, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The Journal of the American Dietetics Association, Preventive Medicine, The American Journal of Public Health and Health Psychology. She has presented her work at scientific conferences throughout the United States and in other countries including Canada, Israel, Australia, Spain, Switzerland, and France. Dr. Neumark-Sztainer is active in a number of professional organizations including the Academy for Eating Disorders, the National Eating Disorders Association, and the Society for Adolescent Medicine. She recently received the Lori Irving Award for Excellence in Eating Disorder Prevention and Awareness from the National Eating Disorders Association. Dr. Neumark-Sztainer is involved in outreach work via community presentations, media interviews and different consultations. She has just completed a book for parents of adolescents that provides a synthesis of her research and guidelines for helping their children have healthy bodies and body images. Her book is entitled: “I’m, like, SO, fat!” Helping your teen make healthy choices about eating and exercise in a weight-obsessed world.

J. Rodger Steeper, MD
Internal Medicine, Denver, Colorado
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine
University of Colorado
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Dr. Steeper has been in private practice in Denver for 30 years. His practice focuses on comprehensive primary care services with a special emphasis in preventive medicine. In addition to his primary care practice, Dr. Steeper is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, teaching medical students physical diagnosis and outpatient clinical medicine. He also participates in the internal medicine intern/resident training program at Presbyterian/Saint Luke’s Medical Center, Denver, and was honored with the program’s Teacher of the Year Award on four different occasions. Other activities include being a preceptor in the University of Colorado, School of Medicine’s Primary Care Curriculum, chairing the Peer Review Committee at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center; serving on the Denver Medical Library Board; and serving on the Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center Multidisciplinary Quality Review Committee. He is former chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center. An avid cyclist and Nordic ski racer, Dr. Steeper is a former medical consultant and team physician for the US Cycling Team. Dr. Steeper served an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles. His has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.

Bertrand Weber
Director of Operations
Royal Cuisine ISD 270
Swiss born Bertrand Weber began his duties as District 270's director of operations for the Royal Cuisine Program, in July 2004. As the director of operations, Weber is responsible for the student dining program and Royal Rock Services, which combines student learning and nutritional cooking. Royal Rock Services is designed to enhance the use of district facilities by students, their families, and staff. Weber has more than 25 years of management experience in the hospitality industry; he studied hotel management at the Ecole Hoteliere de Geneve in Switzerland. Before moving to Minnesota in 1991, Weber was associated with the finest hotels and resorts on the East Coast ranging from Pier 66 Hotel and Marina, Palm Beach and Country Club in Florida to The Wequasett Inn and Golf Club on Cape Cod. Once in Minneapolis, he was the general manager of The Whitney Hotel, a four Star Boutique property in downtown Minneapolis. He has expertise in business development, marketing/sales strategies, budget preparation, staff training and development, special function and event planning. Additionally, Weber has had over 9 years of nutritional experience through diabetes management and a real passion to teach children through hand on experience. On account of his children’s encouragement, He joined ISD 270 determined to challenge current school lunch programs and bring forth real nutrition back into school nutrition. Outside of his work, Weber enjoys his vegetable and perennial garden at home, camping and hiking the beautiful trails of northern Minnesota, cooking for family and friends, reading, volunteering at his children school and an avid skier in the winter.