Moving More, Eating Smarter Communities Criteria
Moving More, Eating Smarter Communities meet specific membership, goal and planning criteria in order to gain recognition from the North Dakota Department of Health.
Benefits
Benefits that recognized MMES Communities receive include:
- Networking opportunities with other community coalition leaders
- The opportunity to tell others about efforts via the world-wide web
- Access to the most recent and up-to-date data, news, research-based actions, and community funding opportunities
- Technical assistance from the North Dakota Department of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The opportunity to apply for funding, generally made available on an annual basis from the North Dakota Department of Health.
Are you interested in putting together a MMES Community Coalition? Please contact Deanna Askew, MPA, LRD, Healthy Weight Coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Health daskew@nd.gov
CRITERIA for recognition
- Coalition Membership
To ensure that the activities carried out by your coalition have a broad reach, the expertise of nutrition and physical activity specialists, and upper-level support, your coalition should include nutrition expertise such as a public health nutritionist and/or NDSU Extension person with a nutrition specialization and/or a Licensed, Registered Dietitian (L.R.D.) and/or a Licensed Nutritionist; physical activity expertise such as a physical education instructor or a parks and recreation specialist and/or a person trained in health and fitness; and at least one influential leader such as school superintendent, school administrator, mayor, city council member, legislator, etc. Other coalition members may include city/county planners, parks and recreation planners, local food producers, fitness center representatives, school personnel, hospital personnel, community members, youth leaders, business representatives, etc. You decide what is best for your community!
- Activities
It is recognized that instituting changes in a policy or in the environment are more sustainable and support individual change; coalitions are strongly encouraged to work in these areas. Coalition activities should focus on the six principle target areas recommended by the CDC to reduce overweight and obesity:
- Increase physical activity
- Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables
- Decrease the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
- Reduce the consumption of high-energy-dense foods
- Increase breastfeeding initiation and duration
- Decrease television viewing
Coalitions are also encouraged to increase awareness in the community and to help community members develop skills to increase their ability to take personal responsibility for themselves and their families to move more and make smarter eating choices.
- Planning
In order to gain recognition, the coalition needs to submit their plans for how they will implement and evaluate their activities.
In order to receive available funding, communities need to submit a budget plan, generally due each year prior to March 31 that demonstrates how the coalition is implementing the program goals:
- to encourage North Dakotans to move more on most days of the week and smart choices from every food group.
Technical assistance is available in planning and budgeting. Please contact Deanna Askew, MPA, LRD, Healthy Weight Coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Health daskew@nd.gov
