St. Francis County ready for next step in Arkansas Delta Region Obesity Project
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
March 18, 2019
FastFacts:
- Forrest City hosted ArDROP kickoff Feb.25
- Next steps include goal-setting and prioritization
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FORREST CITY, Ark. – Setting and prioritizing goals are the next steps as St. Francis County moves forward in its participation in the Arkansas Delta Region Obesity Project, or ArDROP.
Tyler Brown, extension regional program associate - obesity reduction for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said members of the project met to identify a strategy for the project’s success on Feb. 25. The group is scheduled to meet again in Forrest City on April 9 to identify priorities and what are known as SMART goals.
SMART is an acronym, standing for “specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.” This includes short-, mid-, and long-term goals. Participation in ArDROP is a five-year commitment that runs through September 2023.
Location and time for the April 9 meeting have yet to be set.
“Setting goals that meet those criteria is really critical for the success of any project,” Brown said. “It doesn’t just apply to individual efforts, but also to larger regional efforts such as ArDROP.
“Our aim is to make these changes sustainable,” he said. “We don’t want to create change for the sake of creating change, but to get participants – both individual and communitywide – on the road to making healthy living stick for the long term.”
ArDROP is a cooperative agreement with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address obesity rates in St. Francis and four other Arkansas counties: Chicot, Lee, Mississippi and Phillips.
The Cooperative Extension Service, through its Family and Consumer Science section, delivers health and nutrition education, exercise and stress management programs, as well as personal finance information to help individuals and families live more healthy lives.
The CDC selected these counties because they all have adult obesity rates of more than 40 percent. The project is meant to improve health and quality of life.
ArDROP focuses on increasing access to healthy food and physical activity opportunities. It’s a communitywide effort with the support of local governments and the Cooperative Extension Service. The ArDROP work with CDC will continue through September 2023.
AbouttheDivisionofAgriculture
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 is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your county extension office as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu