Judge promotes heart-healthy lifestyle

DES MOINES – It's all about exercise, healthy food and portion control.

That was the message Lt. Gov. Patty Judge relayed Tuesday to the 67 percent of Iowa adults who are overweight and obese due to engaging in unhealthy lifestyles and consuming empty calories.

Judge, who has lost 35 pounds over the past 18 months and 45 pounds since becoming state government's No. 2 executive, launched a new initiative encouraging Iowans to “take their hearts into their own hands” and embrace healthy living while reducing their risks for heart disease – which claimed about 9,200 Iowans as the top cause of death for 2007.

“These numbers are sad, but they're not surprising,” she told a news conference at a downtown YMCA. “All you have to do is walk down the street and you can see that we are heavier, we are less physically fit than we were a generation ago, and it doesn't have to be that way.”

Baby boomers had their summer of love in the ‘60s; now Judge wants Iowans to make 2009 their summer of wellness by enrolling in a free 12-week, web-based program that challenges Iowans to boost their physical activity, eat healthier foods, and promote better living.

“As a former nurse, I know the importance that healthier living plays in a person's success,” Judge said.  “Yet, in our society today, far too many people practice unhealthy habits and, as a result, more and more people are overweight, suffer from cardio-vascular problems, and enjoy a diminished quality of life.”

Interested participants are encouraged to log onto and register at the www.ltgovernorschallenge.us website, set individual physical activity and nutrition goals, and receive rewards for eating healthy foods and working out. Participants are able to track their progress through the website and they will receive a gold, silver or bronze Lt. Governor's Medal of Wellness for reaching their goal at the end of the 12-week program.

Joining Judge at Tuesday's event was Carla Hoover, a Department of Public Health employee who lost 160 pounds over the past three years and now runs half-marathons and feels much healthier.

Hoover, 59, said she decided to change her unhealthy ways after a longtime friend died after surgery. “It was a real eye-opener for me,” said Hoover, who attributed her success to setting realistic goals and taking her weight loss effort one day at a time.

Judge said she believes the message is getting through to Iowans based on the response she saw in the previous Live Healthy Iowa Challenge and legislative action to remove junk food from Iowa schools and to increase students' physical activity.

The lieutenant governor plans to travel around Iowa promoting the new heart-healthy initiative, with stops planned Wednesday in Council Bluffs and Sioux City.