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Disney Star to Speak at FAAN’s Sixth Annual Teen Summit

Weekend Event Helps Teens Successfully Manage Food Allergies

FAIRFAX, Va. (Oct. 19, 2011) – Teen actor Kenton Duty, who stars on Disney Channel’s immensely popular television show “Shake It Up,” will be a featured speaker at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN™) Sixth Annual Teen Summit, Nov. 18-20 in Arlington, Va. 

Duty, 16, is well versed in the challenges of managing food allergies – he is allergic to chocolate and outgrew a milk allergy.

“Spending time with other teens who also watch closely what they eat is going to be a blast, and there are some really fun events planned so we can hang out and get to know each other,” said Kenton. “It is important to gain the education the Summit provides, and it is equally important to have a bond with a group of peers who understand what challenges you face every day regarding such a simple thing as what will I eat today!” 

The Teen Summit is one of FAAN’s most highly regarded events, bringing together teens, their siblings (ages 11-22), and their parents for a weekend of bonding and learning. Educational sessions aimed at helping teens manage their food allergies and avoid reactions are planned, as well as fun, social events. It’s a unique opportunity to be surrounded by peers who understand what it’s like to live with food allergies. Parents also attend educational sessions and get the chance to bond with other parents.

FAAN’s youth programs, which include the Teen Summit, are a critical component within its mission of food allergy education – studies have shown that teens with food allergies are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors related to their food allergy. 

“We’re thrilled about the line-up of speakers at this year’s Teen Summit and we are looking forward to meeting the teens with food allergies from across the country who will join us,” said Eleanor Garrow, FAAN Vice President of Education and Outreach. “Teens and their parents have told us over the years how much they value this event, which reinforces the basic tenets of food allergy management in a manner that is relatable to this young, at-risk group.” 

Kenton will lead a session entitled “Social Outings and Peer Pressure.” Other topics of discussion on the schedule include traveling with food allergies, participation in clinical trials, and managing multiple food allergies in everyday life.

Hemant Sharma, M.D., will also be on hand to talk to both teens and parents about food allergies. Sharma is a pediatric allergist immunologist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. and director of the Allergy Specialty Clinic in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. 

Other speakers include Lori Sander, founder of Divvies, along with her son Benjamin; Eyal Shemesh, M.D., chief of the Division of Behavioral and Developmental Health in the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York; and 14-year-old actress Heather Braverman who has appeared in "Guiding Light," "Law & Order:
Special Victims Unit,” and the newly released film, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. 

The Sixth Annual Teen Summit is generously co-sponsored by the Food Allergy Initiative. For more information about Teen Summit, please visit www.foodallergyevents.org.

About FAAN

Founded in 1991, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in information, resources, and programs for food allergy, a potentially life-threatening medical condition that afflicts as many as 15 million Americans, including almost 6 million children. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., FAAN is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. On May 9, 2012, FAAN announced its intent to merge with the other leading food allergy organization, the Food Allergy Initiative, pending state regulatory approval. To become a member or for more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org.

Media Contact

Nancy Gregory
Media Relations
(703) 563-3066
E-mail: ngregory@foodallergy.org