Coming up on Connections: Tuesday, April 4, 2023

First hour: Discussing the American Academy of Pediatrics' new obesity guidelines

Second hour: 2018 NYS Teacher of the Year Christopher Albrecht on connecting students to the world outside the classroom

What should we do about the increasing prevalence of obesity in American children? The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new set of guidelines this winter. Its stance is that obesity should be described as a disease – something that is not a child’s fault – and something that requires different interventions. For some kids, that’s nutritional instruction and parental guidance. For teenagers as young as 13, that might be bariatric surgery. Critics have said the guidelines could cause eating disorders and question how young is too young for certain strategies. Our guests discuss it:

• Stephen Cook, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Rochester and Golisano Children’s Hospital
• Jill Chodak, clinical dietitian with the Center for Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester Medical Center
• Holly Russell, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and medical director for the Center for Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester Medical Center
• Kristal Hartman, vice chair of the board of directors for the Obesity Action Coalition

Then in our second hour, we’re joined by the 2018 New York State Teacher of the Year. Throughout his decades-long career, Christopher Albrecht has helped students and fellow teachers navigate great change in the education system. The past few years have been no exception. Albrecht has also embraced experiential learning, both for himself and his students. For the last four years, he has spent his summers working with the National Park Service and has found ways to connect his classroom to that work. He joins us for the hour to discuss these efforts and to weigh in on the current state of the teaching profession. Our guest:

• Christopher Albrecht, 2018 New York State Teacher of the Year, 4^th grade teacher at the Fred W. Hill School in the Brockport Central School District, and National Park service ranger