Albert Lea could win a health makeover

Published 9:00 am Monday, November 24, 2008

Albert Lea is in the running for a health makeover.

City leaders were contacted last month by Blue Zones, an authority in human longevity and health, regarding a possible makeover. Community Development Director Bob Graham said four communities in Minnesota were contacted and three of those, including Albert Lea, are still in the running.

Graham said Blue Zones was interested in Albert Lea because statistically speaking, 55 percent of Albert Lea residents are overweight or obese. In addition, there is a high rate of diabetes within the community.

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“Yet we still have a high rate of longevity,” Graham said.

What’s more, there are a number of other factors that make Blue Zone excited about Albert Lea, the development director said. The community recovered from a major industrial fire (Farmland), teamwork between the city of Albert Lea staff and the City Council is apparent, and there is a lot of collaboration between entities.

“They see a lot of positive atmosphere within the community,” Graham said. “This is something the community can pull off.”

And while Blue Zones is not a faith-based initiative, it does recognize that faith is an important element in lives of people, Graham said.

“It’s apparent that it’s a factor in this community,” he said.

City and community leaders had an opportunity to ask questions of Blue Zones, and in turn, the Blue Zones team is asking the community to answer questions for it as part of the application process.

Representatives from the city, Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau, District 241 and Community Education, Freeborn County Family Services Collaborative, Freeborn County Public Health, Albert Lea Medical Center, Mrs. Gerry’s, Lou-Rich and Minnesota Corrugated Box have been working on answers to questions, which include:

Any recently past or current programs to improve the health of community members.

Any recent or anticipated changes in policies to improve health.

Tentative leadership team members and their expected roles on the team and in the community.

Health leaders who are interested in advising the Blue Zones team on health issues.

How will the leadership team reach out and engage 25 percent or more of the town’s population to participate in the individual-level programs and opportunities?

What are the known health concerns of the community?

What qualities does the town possess of interest to national audiences?

How many community members have access to the Internet?

Any civic and social organizations that may have interest in members participating.

Who recruits volunteers within the community?

Is the school district willing to get involved?

Why is the community excited to partner with Blue Zones on this project?

Answers to these and other questions, in an edited, compiled format, must be received by Blue Zones by Dec. 3, Graham said. Blue Zones will in turn choose a community before the end of the year and the program will kick off in January, he said.

Graham said it’s very important that Albert Leans be enthusiastic about being part of the health makeover if it wishes to be the selected community.

“We need to demonstrate strong community leadership and enthusiasm toward Blue Zones,” Graham said.

One way to do so, said Randy Kehr, executive director of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Commerce, is for people to go online to www.bluezones.com and take the vitality compass. “It’s like signing a petition because you register by zip code,” Kehr said. “It’s the quickest way a community can make an impact in the process.”

Susie Petersen, executive director of the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she is excited about the opportunity. “It would be another exciting dynamic if we were chosen,” she said.

Blue Zones, in partnership with AARP, United Health Foundation and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, will work with the selected community, at the policy level and with individuals, to create an environment that promotes behaviors that contribute to longevity.

Blue Zones has integrated the findings from scientific research along with a seven-year, worldwide longevity study to produce lifestyle management tools, content and products that help consumers improve health and life expectancy.

The goal is to have the selected community become statistically the longest living, healthy community in the United States.

So far, only four Blue Zones have been identified in the world, Graham said. These are: Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, Calif.; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica.

He said that even if Albert Lea isn’t chosen, learning about Blue Zones gives the community lots of opportunities to live healthier by following its nine principles.

“We could expand our lifespan by a couple of years,” Graham said.