Arkansas Department of Health
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
Arkansas Minority Health Commission
Baptist Health
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Arkansas Department of Human Services
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention
CHI St Vincent and Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Launched in 2015, the governor-endorsed Healthy Active Arkansas Initiative was sparked by the state’s consistently poor ranking with respect to obesity rates and as a way to encourage and enable healthier lifestyles in Arkansas. The single, overarching goal is to increase the percentage of adults, adolescents and children who are at healthy weight. A 10 year plan consisting of nine priority areas that address food and physical activity provides the framework for action that can be adopted and implemented in realistic ways by a diverse group of stakeholders.
In Arkansas, one out of every three people is obese; Annual obesity-related health care costs totals $1.25 billion; The Healthy Active Arkansas framework is intended for anyone to be able to use; The 9 priority areas of the framework have strategies and action steps with a reasonable timeframe; Arkansas is a place where healthy lifestyles are achievable.
