AARP has been working with Blue Zones in Albert Lea,
Minnesota for the last ten months on an exciting project to help
residents live longer, better lives. The project ended this
week, with a huge celebratory event and an appearance on Good Morning
America as seen here. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/VitalityProject/#
Below read the AP story about the project that ran in papers
throughout the country.
ALBERT LEA
, Minn.
(AP) —
Hardware store owner and heart attack survivor Leo Aeikens spent
most of his life with a hankering for meat, cheese and ice cream.
But an ambitious effort aimed at making his entire southern
Minnesota city healthier has Aeikens calling himself a vegan and
weighing 25 pounds less in just 10 months.
The 69-year-old’s radical lifestyle change came as part
of the ‘‘Vitality Project,’’ an endeavor
spearheaded by adventurer and travel writer Dan Buettner and AARP
with major funding from United Health Foundation. Organizers say the
project has added several years to the lives of Albert Lea residents
through improved diet, exercise and living habits.
With organizers’ help, the city crammed five years of
sidewalk and bike trail construction into a year to make exercise
easier for its 18,000 residents. Restaurants added healthier menu
options and grocery stores showcased wholesome foods. People snacked
on fruits and veggies and ate less fast food.
Schools stopped celebrating birthdays with sugary treats and
started setting up ‘‘walking buses’’ that
allowed kids to walk to and from school together with adult
supervision. Employers gave workers time to exercise.
Organizers said the first-of-its kind experiment added an
average 3.1 years to the expected longevity of participating
residents as calculated by something called a ‘‘vitality
compass,’’ an interactive tool in which participants
answered 35 lifestyle questions.
Buettner hatched the idea and oversaw the project after
identifying five areas around the world where people tend to live
longer and healthier lives, research he documented in a 2008 book,
‘‘The Blue Zones.’’
The key for Albert Lea was getting the community behind a goal
that was not just about weight loss, but also about fostering family
relationships, a sense of purpose and healthy living habits,
Buettner said.
Bob Furland, manager of the city’s two ice rinks, said he
and his wife used to grab fast food several times a week while
shuttling two teenagers to sports and school activities. Now, they
plan meals and keep fruits and vegetables around for snacking. They
planted a vegetable garden and take regular evening walks together.
‘‘It’s funny, once you cut out the bad stuff,
you go back to it and it doesn’t taste as good
anymore,’’ said Furland, 46, who lost about 15 pounds
and added three years to his life expectancy, according to his
survey.
AARP, a nonprofit organization for people over age 50,
supported the project because its members want to live longer and
better, said Cathy Ventura-Merkel, senior vice president of
publications.
United Health Foundation put up $750,000 and AARP an
undisclosed additional sum, Ventura-Merkel said. The money paid for
consulting and licensing costs and for experts who worked with
residents on things like eating and cooking better, setting up
community gardens and walking programs, and publicity.
Mayor Mike Murtaugh said the city had little expense other than
some staff time.
The ‘‘vitality compass’’ includes basic
questions about gender, age and weight, then covers food choices,
exercise frequency, work and relationship happiness, and how many
times a person has been angry, depressed or anxious in the previous
week. The average gain of 3.1 years was based on participants who
answered the questions at both the beginning and end of the
experiment. Organizers said 2,300 people answered the questions at
the beginning, and about 1,000 of those also did at the end.
Asked about the scientific value of the compass, Ventura-Merkel
called it an effective tool.
‘‘It doesn’t give you your answers, it
doesn’t give you anything definitive. It’s more
directional,’’ she said. ‘‘It helps you
learn the behaviors that will help you add longevity.’’
Vitality Project backers call it more than a weight-loss
effort. But Melissa Nelson, a food and nutrition professor at the
University of Minnesota, said the project offers hope to researchers
frustrated by persistent obesity.
‘‘A lot of health professionals are buying into the
idea that this is a problem we’re going to have to tackle in a
lot of different ways,’’ Nelson said. ‘‘This
idea of a community approach is something a lot of people are really
getting excited about.’’
Outside Lakeview Elementary on Tuesday afternoon, adults
shepherded a large group of children headed home in a
‘‘walking bus.’’
Judy Dilling, 60, was escorting her two grandchildren the mile
to their house, which didn’t happen before the project.
Dilling also has joined a group dubbed the ‘‘Walkie
Talkies’’ and now walks the mile-and-a-half home from
her part-time job instead of driving.
‘‘It’s invigorating,’’ she said.
The organized portion of the program drew to a close with a
community celebration Tuesday night, but residents were confident
they’d formed lasting habits.
‘‘I always thought being meatless would be a
horrible way to live,’’ Aeikens said. ‘‘But
there are oodles of things that are tasty and good, vegetables and
fruits that really make up a good diet. I wouldn’t go
back.’’
Volunteers Meet with Rep. Erik Paulsen
