Experts Talk Solutions to Black Obesity

On Friday, July 13, policymakers, doctors, health advocates and food and beverage professionals convened at the Washington Post building in downtown D.C. for The Root's Focus on Obesity conference, which is part of our yearlong Black, Fit & Healthy series.

The daylong conference was all about identifying problems and finding solutions. Keynote speaker Sam Kass, senior policy adviser for healthy food initiatives at the White House, spoke about what the Obama administration is doing to promote healthier lifestyles. Panelists zeroed in on three key areas: home and community solutions, school-based solutions and health disparities.

Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, president of the Black Women's Health Imperative, sat on the panel about health disparities, moderated by Deputy Editor Lauren Williams, and was one of a few people to express concern during the event about African Americans' equal access to proper health care.

"If only white organizations get these grants," she said, "they can't focus on black women and they can't focus on the black community."

Check out more highlights from the panel discussions in the video below.