Dr. Michael Rich, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an Assistant Professor of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. He sees patients at the Adolescent/Young Adult Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston and Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. He is board-certified in both Pediatrics and in Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Rich came to medicine after a twelve-year career as a filmmaker (including serving as assistant director to Akira Kurosawa on Kagemusha); his current areas of health research and clinical work bring together his experience and expertise in medicine and media. Cognizant of the potency of the image and of the primacy of media as a source of information and influence, Dr. Rich studies media as a force that powerfully affects child health and health behavior and uses it as a tool for medical research, education, and health care policy.

Bringing his media expertise to bear on the issue of child health, Dr. Rich developed and directs Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment (VIA), a research methodology in which patients who share a medical diagnosis or health risk factor make video diaries of their lives, visual illness narratives that are studied for factors in their day-to- day activities and environments that contribute to their condition. Based on studies using VIA to research how kids really experience asthma and obesity, Dr. Rich has authored numerous papers, including the first video-illustrated research paper ever published by Pediatrics.

Dr. Rich received the New Investigator Award from the Society for Adolescent Medicine for his development of VIA and the research resulting from it. Dr. Rich received five years of funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to further refine the VIA method in a longitudinal study of young people with disabling conditions as they transition to the adult health care system. In addition, Dr. Rich wrote and co-produced Relieve the Squeeze, a short film starring Danny DeVito and Nia Long that used humor and drama to educate and empower children and adolescents to take control of asthma.

Dr. Rich has established a reputation for investigating the negative health effects of media exposure, having authored research papers examining the portrayals of interpersonal violence and substance use in music videos, and chapters in key texts. He has been elected a member of the prestigious Society for Pediatric Research, a Fellow of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). He has authored practice policy for the AAP membership on media issues, including policy statements on media violence and a well-publicized 1999 AAP policy statement on media education as a public health intervention. Dr. Rich has served on the Editorial Board of Pediatrics, and as a member of the AAP media leadership group, the Committee on Public Education. Dr. Rich has authored and presented testimony to the United States Congress, Illinois and North Carolina State Legislatures, and the Chicago City Council, and was a contributing author of the Children and Media Research Advancement Act (CAMRA) bill, sponsored by Senators Hillary Clinton, Sam Brownback, and Joe Lieberman.

For further information, please visit www.cmch.tv

Dr. Arya M. Sharma, MD/PhD, FRCPC is Professor of Medicine and Chair for Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. He is also the Scientific Director of the Canadian Obesity Network, coalition of health care providers dedicated to finding medical and scientific solutions for the crisis in childhood obesity, funded through the federal National Centres of Excellence program. He further uses his expertise as a leading obesity expert as the Medical Director of the Edmonton Capital Health Region's interdisciplinary Weight Wise program, the largest regional obesity program in Canada.

Dr. Arya Sharma's is widely recognized as one of Canada's leading obesity experts. He has authored or co-authored more than 250 articles on the management of obesity and related cardiovascular disorders, and has lectured on the subject all over the world. His research focuses on the evidence-based prevention and management of obesity and its complications. Dr. Sharma frequently travels to Europe, Asia, and South America to share his expertise. He has been a practicing physician for more than 20 years, and has worked with thousands of patients who have struggled with obesity and related problems. As a leading obesity expert, Dr. Sharma passionately believes educating the public on this chronic disease. He writes a blog where he writes about his thoughts on obesity, its prevention and management. He also makes regular public and media appearances to inform the public on the complexity and management of this disease.

His past appointments include positions as Professor of Medicine and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) at McMaster University (2002-2007), Professor of Medicine at the Franz-Volhard Klinik - Charite, Humboldt University Berlin (2000-2002) and the Free University of Berlin (1994-2000). His research focuses on the evidence-based prevention and management of obesity and its complications. He is a member of several scientific associations, including the Canadian and International Societies of Hypertension. He is a fellow of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research of the American Heat Association and on the editorial board of several academic journals.

For further information, please visit: www.drsharma.ca

Dr. Jean-Pierre Chanoine, MD, PhD is the Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Children's and Women's Health Centre of BC (Child and Family Research Institute). Dr. Chanoine is a member of the Canadian Obesity Network, Behavioural and Biological Factors, Women and Children and Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation, Diet and Nutrition, Childhood and Adolescence.

Dr. Chanoine is a Pediatrician who graduated from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium in 1982. He joined the University of British Columbia in 1988 as Clinical Professor ad Head of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit at British Columbia's Children's Hospital. His research areas include Prevention and treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity focusing on the study of nutrition and childhood obesity, from the laboratory to the patient and the community. The main line of research aims at understanding the physiological events leading to the onset of obesity, with emphasis on the regulation of ghrelin, a newly discovered hormone secreted mainly by the pancreas in the fetus and the neonate. Laboratory-based projects include an animal model of gestational diabetes to study the effect of pre- and post- weaning nutrition on ghrelin metabolism, and ghrelin's potential role in the development of obesity and glucose intolerance in the offspring of pregnant rats with gestational diabetes. Clinical projects aim at investigating the role of ghrelin in neonatal appetite regulation. We were the first to demonstrate the presence of elevated concentrations of ghrelin in umbilical cord blood. Community projects propose an original intervention (peer-led curriculum) to prevent the development of obesity in schoolchildren.

His project "Healthy Living: Children Teaching Children to Go Move, Go Fuel and Go Feel Good" (short title: "Healthy Buddies"). A developed and piloted education program (Healthy Buddies) targets attitudes and behaviours bout body image, nutrition, and physical activity. The innovative aspect was the use of buddy teaching strategies, where grades 4-7 children teach their kindergarten to grade 3 (K-3) "buddies". The objectives now are to generalize the program from a single school to a program that can be easily conducted by teachers in 20 elementary schools throughout the province of BC and to ensure that the program is also relevant for all BC school populations (E.G remote Northern aboriginal, ESL, large urban, etc).

For further information, please visit: www.cfri.ca

Dr. Stephan Grasmuck, B. Mus., B. Ed., M. Ed, Ed. D., earned his Honours Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees from The University of Western Ontario, and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Educational Administration from the University of Toronto.

As a trained musician, Dr. Grasmuck has conducted and performed as a trumpeter with symphony orchestras, concert bands, jazz bands, pit orchestras, and brass ensembles. As a professional educator, Dr. Grasmuck has served students and their families for over thirty years. In both public and independent school systems in Canada and the United States, he has developed school programs to become the focal points of the schools’ curricula.

Dr. Grasmuck has mentored countless teachers over the years. He served as a teaching associate for The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Education, a panellist on education for aspiring teachers, a national panellist on Differentiated Instruction, and on several school evaluation teams for the Canadian Educational Standards Institute. Most recently, he was appointed by Ministerial Order to the Independent School Teacher Certification Committee by the Minister of Education, Province of British Columbia.

Dr. Grasmuck’s educational experience includes years of service in senior administration as Deputy Headmaster of St. George’s School in Vancouver, Headmaster of Fraser Academy and The Glenfir School in B.C., and as the NAFTA Consultant for The International School in Portland, Oregon. He has worked with students from the ages of three to nineteen years, including from pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 (grade 13 in Ontario), in boarding and day schools, and through an extensive range of programming including Learning Disabilities, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and full Immersion education in multiple languages.

As Head of School and in his capacity as an educational consultant, Dr. Grasmuck has led complex organizations through short and long range strategic planning; risk management policy development and implementation; fundraising; facilities renovations; board development; recruitment, retention, and marketing initiatives; curriculum revision; faculty professional development and evaluation; and administrative restructuring. He has done extensive policy review and revision toward improving school performance and overall service to students and their families.

Dr. Grasmuck has dedicated his career through both research and practice toward helping students, as individuals from very diverse backgrounds, to improve the quality of their lives through education. As an educator, he continues to experience on a daily basis the nexus between students’ physical health and mental achievement, and between physical well-being and the joy of living. With his passion for helping young people in every way, Dr. Grasmuck embraces the extraordinary mission of the Super Chefs to help to improve the lives of individual children through a unique, fun, and interesting form of education.

He looks forward to his work with the Super Chefs team of professional chefs, teachers, advisors, and parents as they fight childhood obesity and engage young people on the path toward enhanced lives as healthy individuals.

Jean-Luc was born and grew up on the Mediterranean shore in France in a community surrounded by the sea and the Provence sun. From an early age he was exposed to great food using the freshest and best of ingredients.

“… there, the quality of food is paramount, the cooking is by all account simple and un sophisticated, but folks will not compromise on the ingredient’s quality…I remember the smell as we were walking down to the market with my Grandmother who was (I thought) so picky in her choice of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits that I was a little bit embarrassed at the time; she would never hesitate to tell the merchant where she had bought a tomato or apricot the day before that it was not ripe enough or that it did not have any taste! , which of course it did, but in her expert opinion was not as good as she was expecting it to be. ..and she was going to let them know…”

Jean-Luc Barone spent many years in the kitchen throughout Europe, including England, Switzerland, Scotland and France.

During his tenure as a chef he has been actively involved in culinary competitions and with the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks..

With his dedication to assisting apprentices he worked closely with hospitality colleges and apprenticeship boards. He assisted in curriculum development as well as culinary lab teaching. He spent a good portion of his culinary career promoting Canada’s regional cuisine and indigenous products. His hard work and dedication earned him a nomination for the prestigious “Médaille du Mérite Agricole”, an honour awarded by the Government of France.

An eager participant in culinary competitions, he won the prestigious Canadian Chef’s tournament in 1998 after competing against representatives from each Province.
Barone was named Captain of “Canada’s Capital Region Culinary Team”. The team, selected to represent Canada in the “World Cooks’ Tour for Hunger 1999”, was held in Scotland. With Barone at the helm, the team returned with six medals - a gold and five silver!
In the fall of 1999, he led a Team to the Cup of The Nations held in Quebec City. This international competition’s is held every year to promote the culinary arts, hosted no less than 170 participants from 10 countries.

The Team received 7gold medals, 1silver and 1 bronze.
In addition to the medals the Team was awarded the President’s cup for the highest points achieved all categories and the Cup of the Nation to the highest points achieved in hot competition.
Barone is a graduate from the University of Guelph’s AMPHI (Advanced Management Program for the Hospitality Industry) as well as a Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC) designation from the Culinary Institute of Canada. He is also a certified Six Sigma Green belt.

After hanging his Chef’s jacket, Barone remained involved in the industry as a Director F&B, Dir Operations, Hotel Manager and then National Director F&B for Starwood Canada before joining the westin Calgary as General Manager. He also managed the Canadian Government Guest house in Ottawa where he catered to heads of states and dignitaries from all around the globe.

He relocated to Vancouver with his wife and two daughters in Sept 2007.

He has served on the board of Director of the Ottawa downtown BIA for a 2 year term prior to moving to Calgary.

He is the Chair of the Vancouver Destination Marketing Committee and the Vice –Chair of the Hotel Association of Vancouver

Lisa Tartamella Kimmel, MS, RD, CD-N, is a Registered Dietitian who received a Bachelor's degree in dietetics from James Madison University and a Master's degree in exercise physiology from Southern Connecticut State University. Lisa completed her dietetic internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she managed outpatient nutrition services and serves on the clinical faculty. Lisa has been part of the Department of Food and Nutrition for over 15 years, and first worked as a clinical dietitian and outpatient counselor before managing the Nutrition Clinic. She is currently the sports nutritionist for Yale University and an adjunct faculty member at Southern Connecticut State University.

Lisa has been extensively published in professional journals, national magazines and books, and lectures on nutrition and fitness subjects in the community. Most recently, she co-authored a book, Generation Extra Large, Rescuing our children from the epidemic of obesity. She has contributed to articles in Family Circle, Parenting, Woman's Day, Fit, Lady Footlocker's VIP program, Newsweek and Tennis. She is a spokesperson for nutrition-related issues for Yale-New Haven Hospital and has appeared on national and local television and radio stations. She serves on the advisory boards for Big Y Supermarket, Aspen Publishers, ABC news, babycenter.com and Consumer Health Interactive web sites. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the Connecticut Dietetic Association. In 1997, she was named "Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year."

Authors, speakers, fitness educators, and NSCA certified personal trainers (National Strength and Conditioning Association) Uche and Kary have inspired people and debunked fitness myths on national television, radio, and in magazines with their energetic and enthusiastic message. Their passion for their mission is evident in their numerous seminars and workshops. They are two busy people who have woven fitness into the fabric of their lives.

They have been called "Canada's first couple of fitness" and with their travels to Australia, Poland, Hungary and the United States they have become ambassadors for a healthy lifestyle. They bring a spark of clarity to the often puzzling world of fitness and share their message with insight, compassion, and humor.

Kary Odiatu has a Bachelors degree in Physical Education and a Bachelors degree in Education. She is a former physical education teacher and a professional athlete in the sport of Women's Fitness. She was the only Canadian invited to compete in The Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Classic in 2002 and was one of 14 professional athletes in the world to qualify for the Fitness Olympia in 2003. She has competed in over 30 competitions in Canada, the USA, Greece, Hungary, Australia and Poland! Kary has a keen insight into the world of women's fitness and is often called upon by athletes to assist them with their fitness goals. She is a contributor and model for many popular fitness magazines and is now certified in pre and postnatal fitness.

Uche Odiatu has a Bachelor of Arts (psychology) and is a Doctor of Dentistry (DMD). He is a certified fitness leader in resistance training for older active adults. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and a certified trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Uche is a certified Nutrition and Wellness Specialist by the Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals. His varied life experience has enabled him to assist other professionals in their fitness quest. He contributes lifestyle health and fitness articles to the Canadian Dental Association's newsletter The Communiqué. Uche is an alumnus of the prestigious Pankey Institute in the USA. He has been writing, presenting, and promoting fitness related events since 1994. He also competed internationally and represented Canada in Madrid in 1986 and Poland in 2000. Uche has an interest in comedy and has performed at comedy clubs. His stories and sense of humor add entertainment value for their audiences.

For further information, please visit www.fitspeakers.com

Carol Murphy Clyne has an education degree from Boston College and completed the ProChef certification program at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America).  She is a certified chef de cuisine and a visiting instructor at the CIA. She teaches culinary classes for children, adults and teenagers for CIA at both the Hyde Park campus and Astor Centre in New York City.

"People ask me where I was trained as a chef and the truth is Grandma's kitchen. I remember rolling out the silky dough for a family dinner of "home-mades" with meatballs in tomato sauce. We never called it spaghetti or pasta; that's what you got out of a box. I remember feeding the dough into the hand-cranked pasta machine, with Grandma and Mom guiding my hands and beaming. And that got me smiling too. Grandma and Mom taught me that it's not just about food, it's about love and family and togetherness. Cooking with them taught me important lessons: about nature's bounty, the love of family, and the bond between the two. At their apron strings I learned about cooking and teaching, living and loving. " Carol Murphy Clyne

For further information, please visit www.chefscool.com

Michael Morgan is a 360˚ strategic communicator and tactician. 

Over his career, he has owned and operated a national advertising agency for clients with international reach, hosted a nationally syndicated radio show, continues to be a sought-after voice for advertisers (in Canada, the United States, and Europe), and is credited with creating emotionally-based, strategic political television advertising bold enough to garner the attention of the political science department at Yale University, and the Washington Post.  TV pilot producer, commercial radio morning drive host, writer, crisis planner and trainer, motivator, marketer and teacher can also be added to the list.  Central to this diversity is his ability to get to the heart of an issue, to craft strategies and tactics to meet it head on – invariably with a creative and emotional twist – with trademark enthusiasm.

Michael has touched the entertainment, medical, social, labour, science and business sectors and worked with their leaders, including Dr. David Suzuki, Dr. Ken Blanchard, The One Minute Manager; Grammy-winning composer David Foster, the Olympic Secretariat.