Washtenaw Optimal Wellness (WOW) is working diligently to implement a Blue Zones Project. Blue Zone® Projects help citizens make the healthy choice, the easy choice™.
Local City and Country Government will benefit greatly by supporting an area wide Blue Zones® Project. Blue Zones® Projects help communities gain national recognition as great places to live, work, and play.
Through community transformation programs, cities and counties can lower healthcare costs, lower their workers’ compensation claims, improve productivity, improve employee absenteeism, and have less attrition due to happier healthier employees.
In addition to healthier citizens and healthier city/county employees, local governments will be able to leverage the expertise of the Blue Zones Projects group to develop a more walkable and bikeable community at no charge to the local governments.
Dan Burden, Blue Zones, LLC Director of Innovation and Inspiration, is America’s top walkability expert and is a pioneer in people-first urban planning. He’s helped transform over 3,500 cities around the country. (Find Burden’s full presentation from the Healthy City Design conference here.)
Blue Zones® projects also help communities reach their sustainability goals.
~Increasing consumption of plant foods means lowering consumption of animal foods. Meat consumption uses 10X more water and has harmful impacts on the environment and our water ways.
~Encouraging citizens to do more walking and biking decreases CO2 emissions from automotive usage.
BLUE ZONES PROJECT COMMUNITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED:
Double digit drops in obesity, smoking, and BMI (body mass index).
Millions of dollars of savings in healthcare costs. In Albert Lea, MN. – Healthcare claims dropped by a whopping 49%!
Measurable drops in employee absenteeism.
Increased longevity of citizens by years.
Dramatic decrease in workers’ compensation claims.
Developed more walkable and bikeable communities.
Greater community involvement and volunteer efforts.
One BZ Project saw a 17% decrease in smoking and 9% increase in exercise.
More Results
See more Blue Zones® Project results here: https://www.bluezones.com/blue-zones-project-results/
