Training event inspires action for healthy state

A couple weeks ago, I attended the Healthy Active Arkansas Ambassador Training in Little Rock. Healthy Active Arkansas is a governor-endorsed program that encourages and enables healthier lifestyles in Arkansas. At the training, I heard from distinguished speakers and Healthy Active Arkansas team members about nine priority areas to reduce obesity in Arkansas. I learned about the plan’s successes, like decreasing unhealthy food choices in our state parks, and about how other team members and ambassadors have adapted ideas from the program for their businesses, cities, communities and schools.

I also had the privilege to meet fellow leaders from different schools and organizations, such as Dr. Michelle Smith and Ms. Kenya Eddings. Dr. Smith is the director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities and aims to address health disparities in Arkansas. She also developed the Arkansas Minority Barber and Beauty Shop Health Initiative to educate people about heart disease in nontraditional health care settings. Ms. Eddings is committed to bettering her community. A few of the community positions she holds includes being a board member for the Arkansas Center for Obesity Prevention and for Just Communities of Arkansas and being a wellness director for the Arkansas Department of Health.

I most connected with the plan to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages because it is very applicable to my school situation. At school, I always see students with unhealthy, sugary beverages because they think it will help give them energy and because they enjoy the taste.

The training brought together visionaries from all over the state to foster a diverse range of thoughts about Arkansas and what we can do to reduce obesity rates. It also helped create an environment where we could develop action plans for our schools, organizations and communities. My action plan for my school and community includes putting up posters in school, changing the layout of food in our market and creating a challenge of not drinking soda in my school. These ideas will help our school lead our community by example and improve our health using the Healthy Active Arkansas framework as a guide.

As a member of the 2019 Healthy Active Arkansas Ambassador group, I hope we will each take it upon ourselves to lead our state with new ideas and to continually strive to make a difference in the obesity epidemic occurring in Arkansas. To see the full framework from Healthy Active Arkansas, visit healthyactive.org. LILY DESPAIN Springdale