UACES Facebook Cooperative Extension Service’s obesity reduction efforts help put Lake Village in the running for national prize
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Cooperative Extension Service’s obesity reduction efforts help put Lake Village in the running for national prize

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
March 22, 2019

Fast Facts:

  • Lake Village one of 12 national finalists for $25,000 prize
  • CES part of a coalition including WinRock International and others
  • National prize winners to be announced in the fall 

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LAKE VILLAGE, Ark. – A national health foundation has named an obesity reduction and health program supported by the Chicot County Cooperative Extension as one of 12 finalists for national recognition.

Lake Village, Arkansas, home to about 2,300 Arkansans, was recently named as one of 12 finalists throughout the country for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize. The $25,000 prize is awarded annually to communities working to transform their neighborhoods, schools and other civic institutions into healthier environments.

According to its website, the foundation chooses both finalists and national prize winners based on six criteria:

  • Defining health in the broadest possible terms.
  • Committing to sustainable systems changes and policy-oriented long-term solutions.
  • Creating conditions that give everyone a fair and just opportunity to reach their best possible health.
  • Harnessing the collective power of leaders, partners, and community members.
  • Securing and making the most of available resources.
  • Measuring and sharing progress and results.

Jennifer Conner, regional obesity reduction program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the Lake Village community had taken numerous steps to meet each of the award’s criteria, including the expansion of a community garden and the addition of a second farmers’ market, establishing a free fitness center, the zoning of a “creative corridor” for artwork and much more.

“As a native of Lake Village, I am both excited and proud that the community has come together to address the issues we face as a rural area,” Connor said. “We want the next generation to have a quality place to live and play. We have not only improved our natural assets, but created new assets that will have a long-term impact for Lake Village.”

Conner said work by the Cooperative Extension Service work with the city began in 2015. The work is grant funded through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expressed through two programs: SPAN, the State Physical Activity and Nutrition program administered by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; and ArDROP, the Arkansas Delta Region Obesity Project. The Lake Village program has also received guidance or assistance fromthe Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and WinRock International. The program operates as the Delta Consortium for Arts and Innovation.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said the 2019 winners will be announced in the fall. 

Extension and healthy habits

The Cooperative Extension Service’s participation in Lake Village’s obesity reduction work is just one of many of the service’s efforts throughout Arkansas to reduce obesity and enable everyone to live a healthier life. Through its Family and Consumer Science section, the extension service delivers health and nutrition education, exercise and stress management programs, as well as personal finance information. 

As part of ArDROP, the Cooperative Extension Service works with community partners to address obesity in St. Francis, Lee, Mississippi and Phillips counties. The CDC selected these counties because they all have obesity rates of more than 40 percent. The ArDROP project will continue through September 2023. 

To learn about obesity reduction efforts in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @UAEX_edu. 

 

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.  

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.   

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu

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