A panel of national health experts, physicians and educators will share their thoughts about the causes of and remedies for obese children and adolescents at a town hall forum on childhood obesity prevention at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 15 at the Glazer Children’s Museum, 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza.

The event is sponsored by members of the Tampa Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and their community partners – Boys & Girls Clubs, Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, General Mills, HealthyState.org, Publix and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Southern Area Director Mary F. Currie, who has called childhood obesity “one of the most critical health problems affecting thousands of children,” will attend Friday’s event.  Doretha Edgecomb, chairperson of the Hillsborough County Public School Board, is one of the panelists and WFLA Ch. 8 news anchor Rod Carter will moderate the session.

The Tampa Chapter was one of seven chapters from the Southern Area of The Links to receive a grant to implement a childhood obesity prevention curriculum to address the underlying causes of childhood obesity.

Patricia E. Miles, chairperson of the Tampa chapter’s National Trends and Services committee, said the forum will address the issue of childhood with a larger audience.