Gov. Haley Barbour and officials with Mississippi Department of Education will host a Dec. 17 event in Jackson to examine ways to prevent childhood obesity.

Mississippi has one of the highest rates of obesity in the nation.

The event will bring together experts in education and health care to discuss ways of improving the health of children statewide. Barbour says by teaching the lessons of healthy eating, Mississippians can lower the rate of obesity-related diseases in the state.

Topics will range from learning how to provide a healthy environment to child nutrition.

David Katz, director and founder of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, will be the other keynote speaker.