Philip R.  Nader,  M.D.
  Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego

 Dr. Nader, (BA Wooster College, MD University of Rochester) is a    
 “Behavioral Pediatrician” who has been engaged in research in health
 behavior (nutrition and activity) and the influence of families, schools, and
 communities on child health since the early 1970’s.
  He has led and participated in several multi-disciplinary research teams examining both longitudinal descriptive and randomized population-based interventions regarding activity and nutrition. Dr. Nader was PL on the San Diego Studies of Activity and Nutrition, and PI and Co-Chair of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health – now known as CATCH. He participated as an Investigator in the NICHD Study of Child Care and Youth Development and was an author on several landmark articles on physical activity and obesity in that study cohort. 

He was a Visiting Scholar at the Stanford University Institute for Communication Research, a Fogarty International Fellow, and a UC Investigator on Pacific Rim Indigenous Health and continues his active community role in San Diego as a Senior Consultant to the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative. Dr. Nader recently published the second edition of his book for parents: “You CAN Lose Your Baby Fat. New Rules to Protect Kids from Obesity.”
 

  Alanna Levine MD
  Primary Care Physician/ Parenting Expert

 Alanna Levine MD, FAAP is a primary care physician caring for patients  
 from birth through college.  She has a strong media presence and appears
 regularly on the Fox News Channel, CBS’s Early Show, The Tyra Banks
 Show, and ABC News Now.  She has spoken on diverse topics including autism, vaccine safety, Hepatitis, and Swine Flu.  Dr. Levine also shares her insights through digital media at juiceboxjungle.com, momlogic.com, and parents.tv.

Dr. Levine is a designated spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.  She is a member of the National Association of Medical Communicators, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Communications and Media.

  Mathew Diskin
  Physical Education Specialist / Special Education Teacher /
  Football Coach

  There are many people who advocate for increasing physical activity in a 
  child’s life but few who implement this practice as passionately as Matt
  Diskin. One can see the impact of his work in every aspect of his career as a
  physical education specialist, special education teacher and football coach.

Mr. Diskin gained national attention as a specialist when he won a Carol M. White PEP Grant in 2003 and overhauled physical education in the Gateway Unified School District. He used the grant to build custom exercise labs in each school and created opportunities for movement at every turn with fun innovations like painted agility ladders throughout the grounds of each campus.   Matt conducts “Friday Leagues” which bring together large groups of students in an afterschool exercise program and educates his students with the aid of his alter ego, Mr. Happy, a cartoon character who provides entertaining lessons on physical fitness.
 
In the area of Special Education, Matt is effectively using daily physical activity to improve behavior, increase focus and accelerate learning.  

An avid lover of athletics, Matt is a long-time football coach on the high school and college levels and has led his teams to numerous titles during his 25 years of coaching.
He is a sought after public speaker in the areas of childhood obesity and physical activity
and proudly holds the title “2005 Teacher of the Year” from his school district. Matt has been teaching for over 20 years and holds a Masters Degree in Science Kinesiology from Humboldt State University.