Arkansas Organizations Collaborate to Fight Obesity in the State

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PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN, Ark. — According to the 2009 America’s Health Rankings report issued by the United Health Foundation, the prevalence of obesity in Arkansas grown in the past five years from 25.2 percent to 29.5 percent of the population. Arkansas is ranked 41st in the nation in the percent of its population who are obese.

Arkansas organizations have collaborated to fight obesity in the state through a Growing Healthy Communities project. An immersion training will take place March 2-5 at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute.Being overweight or obese contributes to numerous health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. To combat this deadly trend, Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention, Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Department of Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Public Health, and Winthrop Rockefeller Institute have collaborated to provide immersion training for the “Growing Healthy Communities Project.” The training will take place March 2-5, 2010, at the Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton. Follow the conversation on Twitter by using the #ARobesity hashtag.

As part of the Growing Healthy Communities project, which originated from a partnership between the aforementioned organizations, communities are awarded $10,000 to implement projects and programs that will influence physical activity and access to healthy foods. An additional award up to $6,000 is available for each area to conduct a regional summit to increase awareness on healthy, active living within their communities. With input from their community partners, each site receiving these awards will apply policy and environmental changes to increase physical activity and nutritional options that will lead to healthier lifestyles. Funding for the Growing Healthy Communities project is provided by Blue and You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.

The five Growing Healthy Communities project sites will attend the upcoming training at the Rockefeller Institute and include the following:

The training will begin with a town hall meeting March 2 beginning at 6:45 p.m. Dr. Joe Thompson, Surgeon General of Arkansas, will facilitate the session. The town hall meeting will feature national, regional, and state and local partners, including National League of Cities, Congress for the New Urbanism and Foundation for the Mid-South. On the morning of March 3, an opening session that gives a national, regional and local perspective on obesity will take place. Among the guests will be Arkansas first lady Ginger Beebe.

For more information on Growing Healthy Communities, contact Joy Rockenbach of Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention at (501) 683-3600.

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute of the University of Arkansas System is an educational institute and conference center. Committed to acting as a catalyst, its vision involves combining the legacy and ideas of Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller with the resources and expertise of a statewide university system. Its mission is to develop diverse programs that nurture ideas, policies and activities to make life better in Arkansas.

The Rockefeller Institute accomplishes its mission by offering a variety of workshops, seminars, public lectures, conferences and special events. Program areas include agriculture and environment, arts and humanities, economic development, and policy and public affairs. To learn more, call (501) 727-5435, visit the Web site at www.uawri.org, or stay connected on Twitter and Facebook.