21st Annual Spears Foundation Conference on Health Conference Purpose The 21st Annual Spears Foundation Conference on Health provides professional education and networking for doctors, dentists, nurses, social workers, health care instructors, students, and anyone else involved or interested in the health care profession. The conference is funded by grants to the Spears Foundation from the Department of Health, the Children's Health Network, the Family Health Association, the Organization for World Health and Nutrition, and with support from the Sebastian L. Turner Foundation and the Phillippe Endowment. Conference Goals The focus of this year's conference will be promoting proper nutrition among children. Childhood nutrition is a significant health care issue in light of the increased prevalence of childhood illnesses related to an improper diet. In addition to posing immediate health consequences, a poor diet can contribute to poor health throughout an individual's life and eventually lead to conditions like obesity and heart disease. The goal of the 21st Annual Spears Foundation Conference on Health is to foster the awareness and early prevention of improper childhood nutrition within the field of healthcare. The conference aims to: broaden the discussion on nutrition to include health impacts at local, state, national and international levels among individuals under the age of 12 describe the latest physical and mental health findings related to improper childhood nutrition highlight innovative research, practices, and programs that seek to improve the nutrition of children emphasize prevention and intervention strategies appropriate for children of different cultures, physical abilities, geographic settings, and communities Conference Dates Friday March 23 to Sunday March 25 Contact Information Spears Foundation Conference on Health Attn: Conference Manager Lawrence P. Martin, Jr. 8 Newbury Street Boston, Massachusetts 02115 Phone:617-262-0044 Fax:617-262-0008 E-mail: conference@spearsfoundation.org The word 'promoting' in paragraph 2, line 1, is closest in meaning to