Experts to draw on successes from pilot project

About five years after Albert Lea made waves across the nation with the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, Blue Zones officials announced today they will be returning to the city.

As part of a partnership between Healthways Inc. and Blue Zones LLC., officials have announced Albert Lea has been named a Blue Zones Project demonstration site. The city will be one of several communities across the country seeking to achieve official Blue Zones Community certification.

With the Blue Zones Project, national experts will draw upon the city’s prior success and assist the city in developing and implementing a blueprint for making permanent environmental, social and policy changes. They aim to lead people into healthier behaviors and  improved well-being, according to a press release.

Community leaders will be at Wind Down Wednesday at 6 p.m. today in downtown Albert Lea to make an official announcement to the community.

“The enthusiasm and passion of Albert Lea to improve overall community well-being is exciting, and we are ready to join the Blue Zones Project and build upon past efforts to implement policy and built environment changes that make the healthy choice the easy choice,” said Randy Kehr, executive director of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce.

 

What are Blue Zones?

Blue Zones was born out of National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner’s examination of communities across the globe where people were happily living the longest. Buettner founded Blue Zones to bring these secrets of longevity to the United States, and in 2009 led a 10-month pilot project in Albert Lea, where residents increased their projected life expectancy by 2.9 years and local employers reported a decline in healthcare claims costs and decreased absenteeism.

The results spread across the country, garnering national media attention to Albert Lea.

After establishing the pilot program, Buettner partnered with Healthways to form what has been deemed the Blue Zones Project to help other communities do the same thing.

The project has helped other communities — including ones in southern California and in Iowa — implement the same research, and they have used a Gallup poll called the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, to measure improved quality of life.

To be officially classified as a Blue Zones Certified Community, communities have to undergo a series of requirements toward healthier living.

That’s where Albert Lea comes in.

Ellen Kehr, organization lead for the Blue Zones Project in Albert Lea, said though Albert Lea already went through the pilot project in 2009, it now has the opportunity to obtain that official certification itself. The requirements were established after Albert Lea’s initial project.

 

What does the Blue Zones Project entail?

Under the Blue Zones Project, Albert Lea residents will be invited to take part in many of the same activities they did with the pilot project, and just like the other communities in Iowa and California, the community’s results will be measured with a Gallup poll.

Ellen Kehr said there are committees organizing various initiatives, such as community policy, engagement, worksites and healthy food, to name a few.

Part of the certification also requires designating a certain percentage of the city’s schools, restaurants, grocery stores and businesses as official Blue Zones entities. In addition, there will be rallies and other events for the community to take part in, such as purpose workshops and walking moais.

“The top goal really is to increase the well-being and the quality of life for the residents of Albert Lea and to keep growing and doing what’s best for our community,” she said.

The efforts are being funded by Healthways and will bring national experts back to town to share their knowledge with residents as they did during the pilot project.

The new project officially begins Aug. 1 and will run a full year, through Aug. 1, 2015.

“By participating in the initial Blue Zones pilot program in 2009, the residents and leaders of Albert Lea played a critical role in demonstrating the effectiveness of an environmental approach to improving community well-being,” Buettner said. “This visionary commitment shown by Albert Lea made the Blue Zones Project possible, and I am very pleased to welcome them to the Blue Zones Project family as an official demonstration community.”

Kehr said the efforts will help Albert Lea build on its past successes and give it tools to make permanent and sustainable changes to help residents live longer, happier lives.

“We look forward to the opportunity to work with Healthways to build upon our Blue Zones success over the past five years,” said Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen. “Together we can build on the past to enhance the quality of life for all citizens in the future.”

The Blue Zones Project office will be in the historic Jacobson Apartments building, 211 S. Broadway. Prairie Wind Coffee will continue to utilize the front half of the building, and the new Blue Zones Project office will be in the back.

A person for a second part-time position is also being sought, paid for by a grant and Buettner himself, who will focus on engaging the community.

Look to the Tribune on Thursday for more from today’s announcement.