Childhood obesity rates are on the rise, but the Healthy Kids Summit hopes to bring those numbers down in York County.

On Tuesday, local experts will discuss childhood obesity at the Susan P. Byrnes Health Education Center, 515 S. George St.

Everyone is invited to attend the Healthy Kids Summit from 11 a.m. until noon to learn more about how to alleviate the problem.

Childhood obesity affects 17 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Where it starts: "For many families, the decision to eat healthier begins at the supermarket," said Lisa Coleman, an in-store nutritionist at Giant Food Stores. Giant is co-hosting the summit along with the Byrnes Center.

Coleman will be speaking on the discussion panel along with Deborah L. Wortham, superintendent at the School District of the City of York; Alexandria Hardy, registered dietitian with the Byrnes Center; Dr. Marsha Novick, assistant professor at the Milton S. Hershey Children's Hospital; and Ann Goropoulos-Hughes, executive vice president, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania.

"Too many children are suffering from health conditions -- such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol -- that are more common in middle-aged adults," said Novick.

Those ailments will be carried into adulthood if they are developed early, and in addition to better eating habits kids need to be physically active for at least one hour every day, Novick said.

Goropoulos-Hughes will be speaking on behalf of the Girl Scouts, who are launching their own Healthy Promise initiative this fall to challenge Girl Scouts to make healthier food choices and increase their activity levels.

The Healthy Kids Summit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Glunz at 545-0489.

-- Reach Chelsea Shank at 505-5432 or cshank@yorkdispatch.com