Georgia Piedmont Technical College will launch a new health program, "Be ACTive," Thursday, Sept. 12, 3:30 PM on its DeKalb Campus, 495 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston and on Thursday, Sept. 30, on its Newton Campus, Building D, 8100 Bob Williams Parkway, Covington.

Activities planned for the kickoff events include a panel discussion on health, featuring local health, education, business and community leaders, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and a screening of the HBO special, "The Weight of a Nation." Both events are free and open to the public.

The Be ACTive initiative is the brainchild of Nisha Simama, the wife of Georgia Piedmont Technical College's president. Simama is a long-time advocate for health, education and awareness. "It is unfair to demand educational excellence from our children, if we do not take the time to first educate them on the value and necessity of healthy living," she said. "The importance of health cannot be overstated. We must teach our children and the community in general that healthy eating and exercise matter."

The film, "Weight of the Nation," brings together the country's leading research institutions in a national initiative to help shed light on solutions to restore individual and collective health. The four-part documentary series features case studies and interviews with experts as well as individuals and families struggling with obesity. Each part focuses on a particular issue: "Consequences," examines the scope of the obesity epidemic and the serious health consequences of being overweight or obese; "Choices," reveals the science behind obesity and weight loss; "Children in Crisis," documents the impact the epidemic is having on the nation's children; and "Challenges," examines the major forces behind the obesity epidemic.