84 communities in Iowa want to be Blue Zones

Cedar Rapids and the Iowa City area are among 84 communities to submit a statement of interest to become one of 10 demonstration sites in the Blue Zones Project, part of Iowa's Healthiest State Initiative.

The project's goal is to transform the communities into healthier places to live and work. It's based on tenets of the best-selling book “The Blue Zones” by National Geographic writer Dan Buettner.

He has researched places around the globe where residents live the longest, healthiest lives. Those people share common habits, including eating a mostly plant-based diet; drinking wine daily; taking afternoon naps; having a close group of friends; and making physical activity, such as gardening or hiking, part of their daily lives.

Iowa, ranked 19th in the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, will strive to become the healthiest state in the nation by 2016 under the initiative.

The 84 communities that submitted Statements of Interest are as follows:

Albia

Algona

Alta

Altoona

Ames

Ankeny

Atlantic

Audubon

Bellevue

Bondurant

Burlington

Carroll

Cedar Falls

Cedar Rapids

Chariton

Charles City

Cherokee

Osceola

Clarion

Clinton

Council Bluffs

Davenport

Decorah

Denison

Des Moines

Dubuque

Dyersville

Estherville

Fairfield

Fort Dodge

Glenwood

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance

Grinnell

Grundy Center

Harlan

Holstein

Independence

Indianola

Iowa City Area (Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty)

Johnston

Jones County

La Porte City

Lake View

Le Mars

Manning

Marengo

Marion

Marshalltown

Mason City

Monroe

Mount Pleasant

Mount Vernon

Muscatine

Nevada

Newton

Norwalk

Oelwein

Orange City

Osage

Oskaloosa

Ottumwa

Pella

Perry

Polk City

Red Oak

Reinbeck

Riceville

Sac City

Sheldon

Sibley

Sioux Center

Sioux City

Spencer

Spirit Lake

St. Ansgar

Storm Lake

Story City

Stratford

Waterloo

Waverly

West Branch

West Des Moines

Winterset

Woodbine

Whether or not a city is chosen as a Blue Zones Community demonstration site depends on several factors, including how ready the community is for change, citizen support, if volunteers are available and if different entities are willing to work together. Learn more about the Blue Zones Project at www.bluezonesproject.com.