More than one in three children in North Little Rock are overweight or obese. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, if this epidemic is not reversed, we may be raising the first generation of Americans that will live shorter and sicker lives than their parents. North Little Rock is a community committed to healthy eating and active living. The Fit2Live initiative was created in 2009 by the City of North Little Rock and the North Little Rock School District to address the obesity epidemic in our city and make the healthy choice the easy choice for our residents.
MISSION STATEMENT
The North Little Rock Fit2Live initiative will:
 | Create an environment that empowers our community to recognize and adopt healthy life choices |
 | Collect evidence-based data |
 | Build partnerships to identify and share resources |
 | Develop and reinforce policy initiatives that support these goals |
 | Promote and implement innovative programs and practices |
Fit2Live is an initiative aimed at engaging community leaders and organizations to improve residents’ nutrition and increase their physical activity. As part of this effort, the community has established plans to implement joint-use agreements in six schools to provide individuals with increased opportunities for physical activity. Additionally, North Little Rock is expanding citywide sports and recreation programs and is focusing on developing neighborhood parks and playground activities. By providing technical assistance and other incentives to start and sustain new farmers’ markets, the community is also improving residents’ access to fresh, healthy foods and community gardens throughout the city of North Little Rock.
OBESITY BY THE NUMBERS
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| annual medical cost of obesity because of related chronic diseases. | obese adults spend more on medical costs per year. | minutes of biking two times a day equals 10 pounds of fat burned per year. | minutes of stair use per day can stop the average American weight gain. |