Select Power Point presentations from the Aspen Children’s Forum are available. Presentations are hyperlinked within the session in which they were given. All plenary sessions were videotaped and may be accessed via the link following the session title and in the “Watch Sessions” section of this site. All Breakout Sessions were audiotaped and may be accessed via the "Listen to this Breakout Session" link.

Nutrition and Healthy Weight—Countering the Obesity Epidemic
[Watch this Plenary Session]
Maintaining a healthy weight is an essential component of overall health and well-being during childhood, with beneficial long-term health effects. What are the underlying societal influences that have led to a dramatic increase in obesity rates in North America and much of the developed world, and what are the solutions? How can we instill healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, in children?

• Shellie Y. Pfohl, MS, Executive Director, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition
• Stanley Zlotkin, CM, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs, and Senior Scientist, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children
• Marc Hacker, Director of Strategy, Rockwell Group
• Moderator: Dwayne C. Proctor, PhD, Director, Childhood Obesity Program, and Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Sports and Play—The Benefits and the Risks [Listen to this Breakout Session]
There is a clear link between an active lifestyle and enhanced health among children and adults. Over the years, we have witnessed a formalization of child’s play. What are the effects of this shift? How can we encourage both formal and informal play among children, while reducing the risk of injury?

• Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO, U.S. Soccer Foundation (PPT Presentation)
• Gerard A. Gioia, PhD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology, and Director, Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery and Education Program, Children's National Medical Center
• Dwayne C. Proctor, PhD, Director, Childhood Obesity Program, and Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Moderator: Tom Farrey, Director, Aspen Institute Sports and Society Program; Writer and Reporter, ESPN

Innovative Education Models—How Will They Affect Children’s Health and Well-being? [Listen to this Breakout Session]
There has been a profound increase in the ways in which infants and children learn in the home, in the play yard, online and in the classroom. New models are being tested, and many of them are leading to better outcomes. How can we ensure that the evolving approaches to learning and education support children’s health and well-being?

• Carrie Morgridge, Vice President, Morgridge Family Foundation
• David A. Wolfe, PhD, ABPP, RBC Chair in Children's Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Toronto (PPT Presentation)
• Julie Young, President and CEO, Florida Virtual School (PPT Presentation)
• Moderator: Jen Holleran, MEd, MBA, Executive Director, Startup: Education

Games and Media—Do They Advance or Hinder Children’s Health and Development? [Listen to this Breakout Session]
Children are having increasing exposure to and interaction with electronic games and other media. Understanding the impact of this trend on a child’s health and development is essential. What are the positive and negative effects of electronic media on children’s health? What are the constructive ways in which the latest technologies can be used to enhance the way children learn, play and interact with others?

• Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, Director, Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute; George Adkins Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington
• Victoria Rideout, MA, President, VJR Consulting (PPT Presentation)
• Moderator: Michael H. Levine, PhD, Executive Director, The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (PPT Presentation)