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BACKGROUND

In January 2004, Mississippi State University Extension Service’s Health Planning Group met to prioritize the health concerns on which to focus. At the top of the list was the need to address the near overwhelming issue of obesity in our state. As a result, the Planning Group decided to develop a statewide initiative to promote increased physical activity.

At almost the same time, a group of local partners were meeting in West Point, Mississippi to plan an initiative to reduce obesity in that county. Titled “It’s My Health One Step at a Time: Weigh Down in West Point,” the program ran 12 weeks beginning in mid-January. Program organizers, including MSU Extension Service, North MS Medical Center, and AARP, hoped to have around 200 enroll in the program. Instead, they were met with overwhelming enthusiasm by 1,200 enrollees. The participants were organized into teams of 10 with a goal of losing 100 pounds cumulatively over the 12-week period. Participants lost a total of over 6,000 pounds during the program.

In addition to the support the team provided its members, each team was responsible for sending at least one member to a weekly education session designed to help the team meet its goals. These sessions included information on the importance of exercise, portion control, healthy eating, and the reduction of sweets and fats. Participants were encouraged to keep journals of what they consumed and how much they exercised.

Given the success that West Point experienced and the interest that the Health Planning Group expressed, plans moved forward to build on the West Point program to create a statewide model for encouraging community support for adopting healthy lifestyles that would promote healthy weight management. Program evaluations provided insight for making the program even better as a state model was developed.

In the early months of 2005, the new state proto-type, now called “Mississippi in Motion,” was piloted in ten counties throughout the state. The participating counties included Carroll, Holmes, Itawamba, Lincoln, Lowndes, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Prentiss, Washington, and Webster. A total of 3,898 Mississippians participated in the program and, as a result, our state weighed a total of over 9,000 pounds lighter.

From the completion of the pilot programs until September, 2005, the Health Priority Planning Group has worked diligently to fine-tune the program and develop a toolkit for use in communities. The toolkit includes:

Promotional material that can be customized to fit local communities

 12 educational sessions focusing on physical activity and proper nutrition

An evaluation tool for measuring impact

An implementation guide for establishing a local program