Invite to July 16th Reconnecting Lee Presentation: "What are Blue Zones?"

Who: Deborah Chesna, Healthy Communities Program Consultant, Florida Department of Health, Collier County
What: Reconnecting Lee – “What Are Blue Zones?”
When: July 16, 2:00-3:00PM
Where: Location: Downtown Fort Myers Library, Room AB
Cost: Free and open to the Public
Presented by: Reconnecting Lee, “a group that advocates for new urbanist concepts, including transit-oriented design for Lee County’s emerging urban core."  1.5 AICP/CM credits pending approval.

Program Information and Details:

Deborah Chesna will discuss “Healthy Communities” and “Healthy Businesses” and the concept of “Blue Zones” in the evolving urban environment. The Healthy Communities Coalition is comprised of interested citizen, public and private organizations along with governmental agencies who believe in supporting and improving the health of their community. Increasing opportunities for active living and access to healthy foods are important components of health in the built environment. With 68% of Americans overweight or obese this is becoming the driving force for diabetes and other related chronic diseases even in children which are preventable. Consequently, unhealthy weight gain in the population is predominantly a result of consuming too many calories while involved in little or no physical activity.

Passport to Wellness is a free four-week program to raise awareness about making healthy choices. The Passport to Wellness uses a self-tracking system of "95210" which represent daily health goals: adequate sleep, fruit and vegetable consumption, limiting screen time, daily physical activity, and limiting sugary beverage consumption and tobacco use. Points are awarded when individuals reach daily goals and can earn extra points by attending worksite wellness events, attending a farmer´s market, preventative efforts and bonus opportunities.