Blue Zones Vitality City Project: Albert Lea, MN

After studying five communities in the world with the highest rates of longevity, Blue Zones took this knowledge and implemented a public health initiative in Albert Lea, MN. The Blue Zones Vitality City Project sought to increase quality of life and longevity of community members through several community-wide, environmental interventions across four domains: community, social networks, habitat, and inner self.

With involvement from community leaders, Blue Zones aided in improving school and workplace wellness policies, revising restaurant menus and vending machine choices, labeling "longevity" foods at grocery stores, and creating community gardens. Blue Zones also assisted by offering "find your purpose" workshops, creating social walking clubs and walking school buses, and implementing infrastructure changes such as building more sidewalks to connect common routes to the downtown and creating hiking trails around the town lake.

The program was sponsored by AARP and the United Health Foundation. The University of Minnesota School of Public Health assisted in implementation of the project.

To increase quality of life and longevity among members of a community through community-wide interventions which address community, social network, habitat, and inner self.

The Blue Zones Vitality City Project was implemented in 2009 over the course of 9 months. About 25% of the population participated in the project (3400 people). Participants assessed their health using an interactive internet tool, called the Vitality Compass, at the beginning and end of the program. During a 10-week intensive project, participants saw an average weight loss of 2.8 pounds and an average life expectancy gain of 3.2 years. Vegetable consumption and physical activity increased, whereas feelings of sadness decreased.

In addition, a total of 700 social walking club members logged over 75 million steps. Volunteers donated 2,200 hours of their time, connecting with members in their community. Almost 1,000 people took part in the "find your purpose" workshops. Grocery stores reported 64% sales gain in longevity foods, and two-thirds of local restaurants added longevity foods to their menus. Half of the employers in town signed a pledge to participate and enacted workplace wellness programs; absenteeism decreased 20%. Health care costs among city workers dropped 49%.

The Blue Zones Vitality City Project is currently being implemented in the South Bay Area of Los Angeles, CA. Information on that project can be found at https://www.vitalitycity.com.