do.® town is a community health improvement initiative funded by Blue Cross®
and Blue Shield® of MN, a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association.
The mayors of Bloomington, Edina and Richfield, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
(Blue Cross) have launched an 18-month project to improve the health of their communities by
making changes that support healthy eating and active living choices.
The initiative, called "do.town," focuses on preventing
illness caused by unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, which combined are the second
leading cause of death and disease in Minnesota. The initiative's goal is to make the
communities places where the healthy choice is the easy choice – giving residents more
opportunities to eat right, get physical activity and create healthier homes, schools and
workplaces.
"We believe healthy communities are strong communities, but barriers to healthy living are
everywhere," said Edina Mayor James B. Hovland. "To help our residents succeed in
being active and eating well, we needed a partner with proven expertise in helping people by
making their surroundings – where they live, work and play – healthier. We're
fortunate Blue Cross is willing to join us in this exciting pilot project."
The do.town initiative builds off the success of Blue Cross'
populardo. campaign, which encourages people to "groove your
body every day" by moving more and eating better – as well as the numerous healthy
initiatives that are currently under way in each of the cities. The project begins with
outreach and listening sessions in each community. The goal is to better understand what
barriers residents and leaders believe currently exist and then help all three communities make
the changes that can help community members easily make healthy choices a part of their daily
lives. Examples might be working to make biking or walking to school safer; helping improve
access to healthy foods at work, school and in faith organizations; or allowing for more
community gardens to help serve people with low incomes. The options are numerous and each city
will determine what changes and improvements make the most sense for them to tackle.
Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity take an enormous toll on quality of life and our
pocketbooks. They contribute to preventable diseases and conditions such as obesity, high blood
pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. For example, two-thirds of adult
Minnesotans are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. If
trends continue unchecked, Blue Cross found treating obesity-related diseases will add nearly
$3.7 billion to Minnesota's annual health care costs by 2020.
"We are very excited to be a part of this initiative," said Kathy Mock, senior vice
president, marketing and public and health affairs, Blue Cross. "Blue Cross has a long
history of working hand in hand with Minnesotans to improve health. Whether it's reducing
the harms of tobacco through a statewide smoke-free law or bringing Nice Ride Minnesota to
Minneapolis and St. Paul so everyone has a healthy way to get around, we're creating a
movement where the healthy choice becomes the easier choice. The mayors of Bloomington, Edina
and Richfield have demonstrated great leadership in stepping up to guide their communities on a
journey of health, and we're excited to see what can be accomplished."
"To make sustainable health improvements, it will require changes in how we operate
– looking at decisions we make in our cities, schools, workplaces and elsewhere through a
health lens," said Gene Winstead, mayor of Bloomington. "We've been able to do
some of this through State Health Improvement Program funding in all three of our communities,
but through this public-private collaboration, we hope to engage more community members in
order to make more changes more quickly."
Richfield Mayor Debbie Goettel noted that the success of do.town will
be determined by wide community participation. "The best solutions come from our community
members. We will need input and involvement from a variety of groups in the community, from
schools, workplaces and neighborhoods to the faith community, civic organizations and health
providers, in order to bring health to every corner of our communities. It will truly be a
grass-roots effort."
The do.town organizers will start with community outreach in October
and continue through the fall.
