The Link

6/14/2012
IOWA SPORTS FOUNDATION

UNION COUNTY PARTICIPATION IN LIVE HEALTHY IOWA ADULT, YOUTH CHALLENGES LEADS TO RECOGNITION

2,861 Union County adults and youth engage in wellness effort as part of countywide coalition

UNION COUNTY, Iowa - June 14, 2012 - Union County had 871 adult residents participate in the Live Healthy Iowa 100 Day Wellness Challenge and 1,990 youth residents participate in the Live Healthy Iowa Kids Governor's Challenge.
Based on U.S. Census Bureau, 24.44% of the total county population participated in a Live Healthy Iowa program so far this year.

Union County formed a countywide wellness coalition in 2007 to work toward improving the health and vitality of county residents by participating in adult and youth Live Healthy Iowa programming.

So far in 2012, significant success has been reported in Union County. Union County tied for second place for the Community Cup award. The award winner was determined by the highest percentage of adult and youth participating and completing the challenges as compared to population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Also, due to participation and completion of the Live Healthy Iowa Kids Governor's Challenge, Creston Elementary School in Union County was eligible and awarded the grand prize of $1,000 to go toward their school's physical education or wellness program.

Statewide, Live Healthy Iowa adult and youth participant numbers have broken their all-time participation record. The adult 100 Day Wellness Challenge had a total of 33,700 participants. The youth Governor's Challenge nearly tripled their numbers from 2011 with 31,004 participants.

The 100 Day Wellness Challenge is a simple and affordable challenge, encouraging Iowans to make healthy choices. Over the course of 100 days, teams (2-10 people) take part in friendly competition by tracking their activity minutes and/or weight loss through the Live Healthy Iowa website.

Live Healthy Iowa Kids Governor's Challenge is a free 100-day challenge for youth inspiring them to be more active and make better food choices. During the program, participants aim to be active for 60 minutes a day, at least five days a week and track their nutrition habits.

For more information, visit www.livehealthyiowa.org and www.livehealthyiowakids.org

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About Live Healthy Iowa

Live Healthy Iowa, formerly Lighten Up Iowa, was created in 2001 by the Iowa Sports Foundation as a strategic health initiative to address the state's growing obesity problem. Live Healthy Iowa brings together friends, families, businesses and communities in team-based wellness challenges designed to promote positive lifestyle change. In 2011, more than 152,000 adult and youth Iowans took part in a Live Healthy Iowa program. To learn more, visit www.livehealthyiowa.org.

(Contact: Nicole Bruce, health initiatives director, Live Healthy Iowa, nicole@livehealthyiowa.org; (888)777-8881, ext. 118)