North Dakota has 18 Moving More Eating Smarter (MMES) communities. In February 2009, Bismarck became MMES   recognized. The recognition means BBPH and other community partners will develop, implement, and evaluate policies and interventions that address behaviors related to the following six principal target areas:

• Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables
• Decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
• Reduce consumption of high-energy-dense foods
• Increase breastfeeding initiation and duration
• Increase physical activity
• Decrease television viewing

Each of the above target areas are important in preventing obesity and improving health status. MMES recognition prompts BBPH to support community gardening, offer adolescent healthy-weight classes, encourage use of Farmers Markets, work with school wellness plans and health council, offer counsel to individuals and presentations to employees as part of comprehensive worksite wellness, and provide guidance to adults and kids of all ages how they can Move More and Eat Smarter. No matter if you are a parent, business owner, government leader, tax-payer, professional, unemployed individual, skilled laborer, white collar worker, or retired – everyone needs to ask, “What is my role in supporting each of the six target areas?” You can do something in every area to improve the health of yourself and others. Have questions or need information? Call Wanda Agnew, PhD, LRD. wagnew@nd.gov or 355-1555.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 at 9:32 am and is filed under Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.