Marion makes progress toward Blue Zones designation

MARION - More than a year after it was named a demonstration site, Marion needs just 66 more dedicated residents to help it become qualified as a Blue Zones healthy community.

The city already counts 13 workplaces and 5,329 people completing at least one action toward making the city a healthier community.

In April 2014, the city kicked off the Blue Zones project. By doing so, Marion declared it wanted to be a healthier city by getting its residents, businesses, schools and grocery stories to adopt the principles of being part of a Blue Zones Community.

The project is focused on creating communities where is it easy for people to make healthy choices through 'permanent changes to environment, policy and social networks,” according to the project's website.

To be certified a Blue Zones Community, Marion needs 66 more people to sign on, equaling 20 percent of its population.

The workplaces to join - most recently Marion Hill Bank - commit to implementing such things as nutrition policies, healthy vending machine options or lunch-and-learn programs.

Five Marion schools also have joined.

'Achieving these metrics is one piece of the puzzle,” said Amber Bisinger, city communications coordinator. 'There are also some community policy aspects that come into play.”

For example, a new community garden is being built 'that will allow fresh produce to be grown and that produce to be donated to the food pantry,” Bisinger said.

In order to become a certified Blue Zones Community: 20 percent of citizens must sign up and complete at least one action; 25 percent of schools must participate; 25 percent of restaurants; 25 percent of grocery stores and 50 percent of the top community-identified worksites.

In addition, cities must implement at least one policy from a list of community policy actions; complete at least two changes to the built environment to help people adopt healthier behaviors and earn at least 40 percent of the available points for community policy pledges.

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City also are working toward certification.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 16,720 people had signed up in Cedar Rapids, meaning the city needs 3,588 more to reach 20 percent. The city has reached the required number of worksites and grocery stores, but still needs more restaurants and schools to commit.

In Iowa City, 10,167 people have made the Blue Zones pledge, meaning 1,692 more people need to sign on. Iowa City also has enough worksites and grocery stores, but needs additional restaurants and schools to sign on.

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