IQ Magazine - Winter 2007

Rest assured, there’s help.

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w w w. K u e p e r s . c o m

WINTER 2007

CONTENTS FEATURES 12

16

20

24

30

Intersecting Lines

Consumed

QuickSilver

Walkability

Pursuit of Healthiness

Health, Wealth, and Wellness at Work

Central Minnesota Aims to Free Kids from Obesity

Up-and-Coming Seniors Transform Community Health

Is Your Hometown Designed for Cars or People?

Change Your Life and Liberties, Experts Say

DEPARTMENTS 4

Beginnings Walks

6

8

Eating Our Words

36 Icebreakers

The Truth Behind Nutrition Myths

40 Keynotes

Hot Tips to Winterize Your Diet and Exercise

Reverse Engineering Everyday Products . . . Save Time . . . and Opportunities to Move

The Foundation Newsletter

52 Guest Editorial 34 Growing Home

38 Roads Less Traveled

Local Foods and Farmers’ Markets Take Root

The Wrong Epidemic

Minnesotans Embark on Trail-Carving Spree

Cass Lake

“Our mission is to unlock the power of central Minnesota people to build and sustain healthy communities.”

Schley Bena

Wilkinson Federal Dam Leech Lake

Boy River

Tobique

Onigum Walker

Brevik

Remer

CASS

Ah-Gwah-Ching

Whipholt

Longville Inguadona Hackensack

Pontoria Backus

Outing

Oshawa

Huntersville

Chickamaw Beach

Menahga

Fifty Lakes Emily

Swanburg

Manhattan Beach

Pine River

COVER

Crosslake Nimrod

Sebeka

Jenkins Pequot Lakes

WADENA

Breezy Point

Oylen

Blue Grass Leader

Nisswa Lake Shore

Leaf River

Trommald

Lake Hubert

Cuyuna

Riverton

Deerwood

Legionville

CROW WING

Verndale E Gull Lake

Aldrich

BAXTER Hewitt

Bay Lake Duquette Kerrick Ellson

Barrows

Philbrook

Willow River

Garrison

Bruno Rutledge

Lincoln

Pine Center

Opstead

Finlayson

Shephard Vineland

Cushing

Clarissa

Long Prairie

Gutches Grove

Warman

Hillman

MILLE LACS KANABEC

LITTLE FALLS

Genola Sobieski

Gregory

Elmdale

Melrose

New Munich

Padua

Opole

Albany

Farming

Roscoe

Long Siding

St. Nicholas

SHERBURNE Orrock

Zimmerman

Oxlip

Stark

Spring Lake Bodum

Isanti

Blomford

Rock Creek

Weber

Harris

NORTH BRANCH

Almelund

Center

Lindstrom City Stacy

BIG LAKE

Enfield Silver Creek

ELK RIVER

MONTICELLO Annandale Albertville

Maple Lake

ST. MICHAEL W R I G H TBUFFALO

Albion Center Knapp

Cokato

Albright Highland

Waverly

Lake Rice Lake

Rockford Montrose

Stockholm Howard

Oster

Delano

Sunrise

CHISAGO

Crown

Becker Hasty Fair Haven

South Haven

Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

Spencer Brook

Rush City

Rush Point

Edgewood Bradford

Clear Lake St. Augusta Luxemburg Clearwater

Marty

Kimball

French West Lake Albion

2

CAMBRIDGE

Walbo

Maine Prairie Watkins

ISANTI

Wyanett Pine Brook

West Point

Santiago Palmer

Cable

Cold Spring

Eden Valley

Stanchfield Springvale Grandy

Carmody

Glendorado

Duelm

ST. CLOUD

Greeley

Braham

Dalbo Estes Brook

West Rock

Brunswick Coin Day

Pease

Princeton

WAITE PARK Jacobs Prairie

Richmond

Paynesville

Foley

Grasston

Bock

Milaca

Foreston

Ronneby

Rockville Lake Henry

Oak Park

St. Joseph

Spring Hill St. Martin

BENTON

SAUK RAPIDS

Collegeville

STEARNS

Pine City

Rum River

Gilman

Popple Creek

SARTELL

Avon

Greenwald

Belgrade Georgeville

Watab St. Wendel

Ogilvie

Granit Ledge

Novak's Corner Jakeville

Mayhew

St. Stephen St. Anna

Freeport

Elrosa

Brennyville Silver Corners

Rice Holdingford

St. Anthony

Ramey

Morrill

North Prairie

Meire Grove

Brooten

Little Rock

Royalton

Bowlus

Upsala

St. Francis St. Rosa

Beroun Henriette

Mora Burtrum Grey Eagle

Ward Springs

Sauk Centre

Cloverdale

Brook Park

Quamba

Buckman

Swanville

Little Sauk

West Union

Hinckley

Wyoming

Chisago City

Cloverton Duxbury

Friesland

Kroschel

Onamia

Lastrup

Freedham

M O R R I Pierz SON

Flensburg

Round Prairie

Sandstone

Wahkon

Cove

Harding

Camp Ripley Junction Darling

PINE

Groningen

Isle Bayview

Randall Browerville

TODD

Kingsdale

Askov

Fort Ripley

Eagle Bend

Clotho

Nickerson

Sturgeon Lake Denham

BRAINERD

Pillager

Motley

Bertha

A Little Bit of Sole: Initiative Foundation program assistant, Tricia Holig, braves subzero windchills while striding in downtown Little Falls.

INITIATIVE FOUNDATION FOCUS AREAS

Crosby Ironton

Merrifield

Wadena

Palmdale

Taylors Falls Shafer Franconia

Markville

• Strengthen Children, Youth, and Families • Promote Economic Stability • Preserve Space, Place, and Natural Resources • Build Capacity of Nonprofit Organizations • Embrace Diversity & Reduce Prejudice • Increase Utilization of Technology

Here is a stereotypical photo of two stereotypically happy senior citizens. The kind of photo that finds its way into advertising directed at seniors all the time. We bought it online for $75.

We are using it here to make two points and one promise to seniors who read this and to their families. Point One: We know aging is a complex and highly personal process. Point Two: We understand you are an individual. Promise: We will never – not ever – treat you like a stereotype.

For more information, call 888-487-6437, or visit us at www.cuyunamed.org.

BEGINNINGS

Walks Dear Friends, In dog-years, Nellie is 84. And sure, all that squirrel-chasing, rough-housing and ball-retrieving is catching up with her, but she’s still the best hard-of-hearing, arthritic walking-partner a woman could ask for.

Of course, she hasn’t lost her amazing ability to hear me creak open the closet door for my walking shoes. Instantly, good ol’ Nellie is reincarnated into a bouncing, barking puppy, letting me know that her single highest priority is to join me for a walk.

She leads the way through the neighborhood and then off to the wooded trails. She makes her routine inspections, stops at her favorite spot for a dip in the lake (or lately, a gingerly walk on the ice), and lets me know if I’m not walking at a heart-rate pace. I call her my old-fashioned pedometer.

Our hometown of East Gull Lake recently announced a public-private partnership to expand and connect our local trail system to a multi-county network, citing increased recreational opportunities, social connections and health benefits for residents and tourists of all ages.

Bravo and Amen.

Minnesotans continue to battle the twin epidemics of physical inactivity and poor nutrition in the midst of community designs, technology and personal schedules that lull us into sedentary lifestyles. The effects are felt in skyrocketing health costs, disappearing community relationships, and shorter life expectancies for our children.

This issue of IQ laces up a pair of cross-trainers and leads a whirlwind tour of the forces that are driving community health. It challenges us to take personal responsibility for active living as well as to intensify this blip on the radar screen of community leadership.

As for Nellie and me, we’re just happy for new squirrels and healthy miles to chase together.

Enjoy the magazine.

Kathy Gaalswyk, President Initiative Foundation

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

> VOLUME 5, WINTER 2007 INITIATIVE FOUNDATION Executive Editor & Director of Communications / MATT KILIAN Communications Associate / ANITA HOLLENHORST PUBLISHERS Evergreen Press / CHIP & JEAN BORKENHAGEN EDITORIAL Editorial Director / JODI SCHWEN Assistant Editor / TENLEE LUND ART Art Director / ANDREA BAUMANN Senior Graphic Designer / BOB WALLENIUS Graphic Designer / BRAD RAYMOND Production Manager / BRYAN PETERSEN Lead Photographer / JIM ALTOBELL ADVERTISING / SUBSCRIPTIONS Business & Advertising Director / BRIAN LEHMAN Advertiser Services / MARY SAVAGE Subscriber Services / MARYANN LINDELL

IQ EDITORIAL BOARD Initiative Foundation President / KATHY GAALSWYK St. Joseph’s Medical Center / BARB ANDERSON (TRUSTEE) Lakewood Health System / LAURIE BACH St. Joseph’s Medical Center / DR. NICHOLAS BERNIER CentraCare Health System / DAVE BORGERT Isanti County Active Living / BILL CARLSON Blue Cross Center for Prevention / JILL CHAMBERLAIN Blue Cross Foundation / JOAN CLEARY Initiative Foundation / DAN FRANK Coborns, Inc. / Minn. STATE REP. STEVE GOTTWALT Initiative Foundation / CURT HANSON Initiative Foundation / CATHY HARTLE Initiative Foundation / DON HICKMAN Initiative Foundation / LYNN HOULE Blue Cross Center for Prevention / MICHAEL HUBER Initiative Foundation / JOHN KALISZEWSKI Initiative Foundation / LINDA KAUFMANN Cuyuna Range Medical Center / JOHN SCHAUBACH CentraCare Health System / JOHN SCHNETTLER Blue Cross Center for Prevention / MARGUERITE ZAUNER Initiative Foundation 405 First Street SE | Little Falls, MN 56345 320.632.9255 | www.ifound.org IQ is published by the Initiative Foundation in partnership with Evergreen Press of Brainerd, Minn. www.evergreenpress.net For advertising opportunities, contact: Lois Head 320.252.7348, lmhead@stcloudstate.edu Brian Lehman 218.828.6424 ext. 25, brian@evergreenpress.net Kristin Rothstein 320.251.5875, kristin@cpionline.com

Winter 2007

5

CAUSE FOR PAUSE

BY BRITTA REQUE-DRAGICEVIC

Reverse Engineering Everyday Products Save Time . . . and Opportunities to Move

A

merican children spend more time in front of computer, television, and game screens than any other activity in their lives except for sleeping. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, that’s 44.5 hours per week in front of a screen.

Television is one of many inventions that is designed to make life more convenient, but Americans rarely consider how everyday products engineer physical activity out of their lives.

According to the American Heart Association, changes in the environment and increases in labor-saving technology have reduced work and daily living-related physical activities, contributing to more sedentary lifestyles.

The words, “easy, convenient, and fast” are staples in the marketing lexicon. They appeal to our sense of getting things done quicker, saving time, and making life easier.

In fact, the American Marketing Association found that 28 percent of Americans age eighteen or older reported no leisure-time physical activity in the last thirty days.

Where is the line between making life easier and shortening life-spans? Here are three categories of products that have changed our lives, for better and for worse.

Wheels and Motors From wheels on luggage that force us to use airport escalators, to golf carts with cup-holders that relegate walking to the budget-conscious, there is nary a product that doesn’t have a motorized upgrade.

Wheels and motors make moving things, including ourselves, less taxing. Elevators, riding lawnmowers, electric coffee grinders,

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

motorized baby swings, garage door openers, even electric toothbrushes—all are marketed with the promise of saving human exertion.

Technology

Alternative Dance: Defying modern conveniences, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota’s do campaign redefines everyday activities as opportunities for beneficial exercise.

“Does your mouse move more than you do?” asks one promotional poster. Cellphones, iPods, laptops, the Internet, answering machines, auto-responders, remote controls, webcams, instant messaging—they allow us to go faster with less movement.

Studies show a correlation between sedentary jobs and leisure-time physical activity. According to a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, about 13 percent more heavy-labor workers get regular outside-of-work activity than those with sedentary jobs.

Convenience Convenience services—automatic carwashes, drive-through fast-food, overnight delivery, home delivery—they get things done faster, with less effort on our part, but we also move less. Ironically, they also contribute to our perception of time.

“Most of us feel that we are always in a hurry and don’t have extra time,” says Jill Chamberlain, project manager for community initiatives with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Minnesota’s Center for Prevention.

“If I feel like I barely have time to run errands and pick up the kids, then I am not likely to feel I have time to go to the gym.”

According to Chamberlain, lifestyle

changes begin with prioritizing health more than convenience, and becoming aware of how products impact our physical activities.

To combat ingrained sedentary habits and help people rethink physical activity, BCBS initiated its campaign, perhaps most remembered by a popular television commercial featuring a middle-aged man spontaneously hip-hop dancing in a waiting room. The public awareness effort encourages people to build in the surgeon general’s recommended 30 minutes of physical activity, out of 1,440 minutes in each day.

“Convenient isn’t bad, but we need to take a fresh look at what we consider convenient,” says Chamberlain. “For example, it can be convenient for me to park my car at the far end of the parking lot and build in time for a ten-minute walk before I start shopping. This fits easily into my day and it can even save the stress of hunting for the close spots.”

Chamberlain acknowledges that most of us aren’t going to give up the products that make our lives flow better, but she reminds people that exercise doesn’t have to be structured. It’s physically moving that matters and movement takes any form. After all, there’s always the “old-fashioned” way of getting things done. React at IQMAG.ORG

218-894-1515 ON HWY 10 JUST EAST OF STAPLES www.lakewoodhealthsystem.com

MYTHOLOGY

BY DAWN ZIMMERMAN

Eating Our Words The No-fat, Low-cal, Sugar-free, Organic Truth behind Nutrition Myths

D

on’t eat before bedtime. Eat fresh veggies. Drink eight glasses of water.

We’ve all heard them, but how much of this nutrition advice is gospel? We identified some of the blanket statements we have learned to live by and then asked two central Minnesota dieticians to set us straight. Karen Marschel and Michelle Pelkey offer their insight and experience to debunk some of the most common myths.

Conventional Wisdom: Drown yourself in eight glasses of water each day.

Reality-Check: There’s no question that water is good for you, but there’s no scientific evidence to support the guideline, dieticians say. Recent studies suggest eight is not a magical number and could be excessive, since people also get water from food and other beverages. “I think the bigger problem is that we drink too much of other drinks in place of (water),” says Marschel, a certified diabetes educator at HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinics in St. Cloud. She adds that it’s still good to drink more water, because most of us aren’t consuming enough.

Conventional Wisdom: Tea and coffee make you go . . . well, you know.

Reality-Check: You may feel like every time you have a cup of coffee or tea, you soon find yourself in the bathroom. The truth is, they only act as diuretics if they are consumed by a person who has not had caffeine for at least a week. Not many of us fit the profile. “It’s a long-held belief, but now we know you don’t necessarily lose more than you take in,” says Pelkey.”

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

Conventional Wisdom: Fresh vegetables are better for you than the mushy canned ones.

Reality-Check: Believe it or not, although fresh may taste better, reduced-sodium canned and frozen vegetables can be just as nutritious. That’s because they often are preserved shortly after they are picked, says Pelkey, a certified diabetes educator at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd.

The noticeable difference is texture—and that’s what often leads us to choose fresh over frozen.

Conventional Wisdom: Eating after dark is a surefire way to tip the scales.

Reality-Check: This one is generally true, but it may be OK to sneak a snack before bedtime. If you’re gaining weight, it’s not when you eat, but how much you eat (and how much you burn off). This myth is rooted in the routine of many Americans. We get home from work, eat dinner, and then watch TV and snack the rest of the night—often consuming half our calories at the end of the day, according to Marschel. If you haven’t had your recommended calorie intake that day, you can still grab a guilt-free snack while you cozy up to primetime. But try an apple and a walk instead of chips and ER. Conventional Wisdom: Fast-food salads beat the fat out of burgers.

Reality-Check: That depends on what you

pile on top of those leafy greens. If you use your lettuce as a nest for deep-fried chicken, eggs, and blue-cheese dressing, then you’re better off calorie-wise with a hamburger and small fries, says Pelkey.

According to McDonald’s nutrition facts, a crispy chicken salad and dressing may contain as much as 590 calories and 34 grams of fat. Compare that to its Big Mac, which contains 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. We’re not saying eat burgers instead of salads, but you get the point.

Conventional Wisdom: Sure, but eating healthy is expensive.

Reality-Check: So are restaurant checks and medical bills. In many cases, cutting out junk food or eating healthy servingsizes actually saves money, Pelkey said.

Eating healthy long-term also can save money on doctor visits, tests, surgeries, or prescriptions for high cholesterol, diabetes, and other weight-related illnesses.

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Statue of Leif Ericsson, Hallgrim’s Church, Reykjavik, Iceland 2007—John Erickson

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Winter 2007

9

Elected leaders & planners who want to design communities for people instead of just cars.

Business leaders & HR managers who want to control skyrocketing health insurance.

Educators, childcare providers & parents who want to expel childhood obesity.

Downtown leaders, restaurateurs & grocers who want to profit from locally grown foods.

Community & nonprofit leaders who want to unlock the power of rapidly growing seniors.

March 6

th

8:30AM – 3:00PM S T. C LO U D C I V I C C E N T E R Keynote: Mark Fenton PBS host, author and America’s everyday expert on community health and active living.

Read his editorial on p. 52.

Register Before Feb.15: $45 After Feb. 15: $65 Includes healthy lunch & materials!

www.ifound.org/oomph

By Dawn Zimmerman | Photography by Jim Altobell

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

elcome to the new business world of fitness centers, private

W

clinics, and basketball courts, where employees deal with stress by kickboxing on their lunch breaks. The back mas-

sages help, too. Managers remind their teams to take walks and eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. And if workers agree to a health screening, they get a gift card for their trouble. It may sound extravagant—especially in central Minnesota—but the rising costs of health insurance, absenteeism, productivity, and turnover are converting skeptics to believers. Does it really pay off?

When Aaron Oetterer hits a brick wall as a programmer at Nemadji Research Corporation in Bruno, he doesn’t head for the coffeepot or stare endlessly at his computer screen. He shoots baskets. His fifteenminute break in the company’s onsite gymnasium helps the twenty-six-year-old de-stress and refocus.

Nemadji is like many central Minnesota companies—large and small—ramping up efforts to engage employees in managing their health and wellness. In 1998, the firm had a rare opportunity to bring the service to its sixty-plus employees when it renovated a former school with financing from the Initiative Foundation.

Over the past decade, the gymnasium has promoted team-building as employees gather for a game of volleyball or basketball after work, says Becky Lourey, who owns the company with her husband, Gene.

Charting the Course: Chris Coborn and Coborn’s, Inc., have seen the ROI from employee wellness programs.

Winter 2007

13

Power Lunch: Tastefully Simple and its employees share the benefits of an on-site fitness center, incentives, and coaching.

Employers that focus on health and lifestyle changes have kept median insurance increases to 5 percent compared to 15 percent for those that do not.

Only 27 percent of Minnesota adults met the recommended level of physical activity in 2000, and fewer than half engaged in any physical activity, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. In the same year, the department estimated that $495 million was spent treating diseases and medical conditions arising from the lifestyles of sedentary Minnesotans.

Nationally, premiums for employer-based health insurance rose 7.7 percent on average in 2006, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation’s annual employee health benefits survey. Small employers with fewer than twenty-four workers saw an even higher increase of 10.5 percent.

Grede Foundries, Inc. proved workplace wellness makes smart economic sense after it opened a free medical clinic in St. Cloud for its employees and their families. Healthcare costs fell by 30 percent and one-third of employees moved out of a lowdeductible plan. HealthPartners supports the clinic that now serves Bernick’s employees as well.

“Employers really have to get creative,” says Sue Murphy, manager of the National Human Resources Association. “The economy is tight and they only have so many dollars to spread around to attract and retain workers.”

Marc Manley, vice president and medical director for population health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, says Minnesota’s Fortune 500 companies are driving workplace wellness initiatives, and small and medium-sized businesses are following their example.

Employers of all sizes are working to make preventive care more convenient by offering onsite health screenings, risk assessments and flu shots. About 25 percent of employers currently offer health and wellness assessments and another 50 percent would like to add them—up 6 percent from 2006, according to the United Benefit Advisors’ 2007 Employee Survey.

United is an Indianapolis network of nearly 140 benefit advisory firms.

Coborn’s Inc., a St. Cloud-based grocery and convenience chain, believed it would see results in its bottom line if it focused more on health and wellness. More than half of its

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

Reduced Risks = Reduced Costs

Impact of Employee Health on Health Insurance Employee Behavior Change Reduce Cholesterol from 240 to 190 mg Quit Smoking Couch Potato to Fitness Enthusiast Obese to a Healthy Weight Other Medical Risk-Factors Reduced

Estimated Annual Savings $1,200 $1,100 $269 $177 $215

Sources: University of Michigan Health Management Research Center, Johnson & Johnson.

annual claims were deemed to be “lifestylerelated,” says HR Manager Doreen Meier. The self-insured company posted double-digit annual premium increases, similar to other employers. After implementing progressive health practices over the past two years, Coborn’s average increase has been less than the national average, its benchmark for success.

“We were looking for a long-term solution [to rising healthcare costs],” says Meier.

“We did not want to increase employees’ premiums so we looked at the root of it.”

Employers that focus on health and lifestyle changes have kept median insurance increases to 5 percent compared to 15 percent for those that do not, according to global consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

In 2006, Coborn’s began to offer free onsite screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose at forty locations. In 2007, it hosted two companywide events to encourage employees to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables and either walk ten thousand steps or exercise thirty minutes each day.

A $25 gift card for completing the screenings helped propel the participation rate for eligible employees and spouses to 82 percent the first year, according to Meier. Those who complete an online health assessment questionnaire receive a $7.50 reduction in their monthly health care premiums.

According to an employer survey by The ERISA Industry Committee, National Association of Manufacturers and IncentOne Inc., 40 percent of respondents used premium reductions to motivate employees. Cash

or bonuses also remain a popular option with nearly one-third of employers using them.

The incentives may seem generous, but the pay-off for companies can be far better. Workplaces with fewer health risks such as smoking or obesity can reduce annual insurance costs by an average of $3,000 per person, says Manley.

Tastefully Simple, Inc., a national directsales company based in Alexandria, has a staff wellness manager to serve as a personal coach and assist employees with weight loss, health, and nutrition goals. Heather Kosse also provides blood pressure checks and body composition analysis upon request.

The Minnesota company aims to make health and wellness a part of ongoing education through Monday lunchtime learning sessions on “Healthy Habits.” Kosse shares information on a topic, and the group exchanges ideas and recipes.

The fitness center concept is taken to a new level with a range of aerobic, toning, kick-boxing, and yoga classes in addition to cardiovascular and strength-training equipment. About 47 percent of Tastefully Simple’s 330 employees use the facility, often slipping in during their daily breaks or combining a series of breaks to exercise longer.

“It’s time to get away from their desks so they can be more productive and be more fit,” says Kosse.

Tastefully Simple is the first company in the state to be eligible for Blue Cross Blue Shield’s BluePrint for Health program that provides reduced health club memberships

Gimme Five: Reductions in Coborn’s health insurance rates are the result of a comprehensive wellness effort, which includes encouraging five daily servings of fruits and veggies.

for regular users. Employees who visit Tastefully Simple’s facility at least twelve times a month receive free locker rental for a month, worth $10, and $10 in “well bucks” to purchase anything fitness-related.

“Some people are saving up to buy a treadmill,” adds Kosse.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota is working to encourage more companies to improve nutrition and physical activity among their employees through its new “Fittest State in the Nation” program. Minnesota now ranks eighteenth and nineteenth in terms of health and fitness, respectively. Businesses that enlist in the program commit to the goal and receive resources to use with their employees.

StillPointe Natural Health Center in Sartell also hopes to become a greater resource to small- and medium-sized businesses. In recent years, StillPointe has partnered with employers to offer chair massages in the workplace and provide seminars on stress, desk exercises, and nutrition. Last fall, Dr. Susan Saetre, clinic director, expanded the center’s approach as she started to develop a corporate wellness package of services.

“Most companies really care about their employees,” says Saetre. “They want to provide good service to their customers and they want their employees to be happy and healthy.”

React at IQMAG.ORG

Winter 2007

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c

onsumed

From their moment of birth, today’s children are encircled by fast food, video games, television, Internet, and wireless technology—modern-day marvels that captivate the mind and confine the body. One-third of American kids are now overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Thirtyfive percent of those born this decade will have diabetes. Others are at risk of future heart disease and stroke. Devour the trends and you’re left with a startling, medical prophecy: America’s youngest generations are likely to be the first ever to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Central Minnesota coalitions, schools, and parents are helping kids break out. And you can, too.

By Dawn Zimmerman | Photography by Jim Altobell

Winter 2007

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the skinny on programs

“CHILDREN ARE

rule-followers,”

Meinz adds.

“If you can start at a young age, you’re more apt to make that a long-term behavior.”

a family revolution Tammy Kiffmeyer became concerned about her son’s health when he was just two years old. Derek would finish a McDonald’s “Happy Meal” without much effort. “Everybody thought it was cute,” says Kiffmeyer.

Before Derek reached kindergarten, the St. Cloud mother asked the doctor to test him for diabetes or a thyroid condition. Tests were negative, but she was reassured that he would eventually grow into his body.

Type II, once called “adult onset diabetes,” has become increasingly prevalent in central Minnesota children, says Liz Haag, certified dietician with the CentraCare Health System and coordinator of the local Shapedown weight management program for children. She has worked with kids as young as five years old who are overweight and already have elevated blood sugars.

When Derek turned eight, Tammy Kiffmeyer enrolled him in the program and began a twoyear-process that changed her family’s routine.

CentraCare started Shapedown five years ago in response to a growing number of overweight children.

Since then, the ten-week program has reached more than ninety families. For some, it has helped to restore their confidence. Others have posted ten-pound weight losses. But most importantly, kids and their families have Removing soda and junk food was a bold learned to live differently. move for Julia Espe and St. Cloud schools.

Tammy and Larry Kiffmeyer learned that improving Derek’s health required every member of their family to get onboard. It started with simple steps, such as using smaller dinner plates and choosing ground turkey over ground beef. Now, their three children help plan healthy meals and choose physical activities the family will do together before or after eating.

“It’s not just food that changed—it’s our outlook,” says Kiffmeyer.

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

Jodi Rohe’s three-year-old son never ate broccoli until he made it himself.

That night at dinner, he pointed it out to his father and raved about its flavor between each bite. Rohe recognized more than ever that small steps like cooking or biking together are the most effective.

It’s a message she’s bringing to central Minnesota families as she helps launch a new childhood obesity prevention program called Better Living Exercise & Nutrition Daily (BLEND, www.blendcentralmn.org). The coalition of parents, medical professionals, policy makers, and educators is reaching into childcare centers, identifying risk factors at a younger age, and organizing public events to create a buzz.

Funded by the CentraCare Health Foundation and the Initiative Foundation, BLEND offers a thirteen-week health and nutrition program for kids and parents. Each week, children practice physical activity skills and learn about a healthy food item from the food pyramid. Parents also receive newsletters with tips, recipes, and a grocery list. Special awards, such as stickers or games are given to those who meet monthly exercise goals.

Lorel Meinz, owner of the Fun Factory in St. Cloud, welcomed the opportunity to have forty-five kids in her center participate in a BLEND pilot program for childcare centers. She says that ten years of experience in childcare has shown her the importance of teaching children healthy habits at a young age.

“Children are rule-followers,” Meinz adds. “If you can start at a young age, you’re more apt to make that a long-term behavior.”

out with the machines Meanwhile, Minnesota schools, motivated by mandates and the governor’s push for improved health and fitness, are also using their time with students to promote healthier behaviors. Earlier this year, the St. Cloud School District made a bold move. It removed all soda-pop and junk food-packed vending machines and eliminated French fries from the daily lunch menu. Few Minnesota schools have taken such steps.

From 1997 to 2001, milk consumption fell 39 percent among children ages six to eleven, while soda consumption spiked 137 percent, according to the New Jersey-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropic organization dedicated to health and healthcare issues.

“I thought I would have students lining up at my door saying, ‘I want my diet pop back,’ and that didn’t happen,” says Julia Espe, head of the district’s wellness policy committee and director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

The French fries decision wasn’t without controversy. The district eventually conceded by serving them on Fridays. Espe said that she has been working with vendors to bring back the machines, but only if the choices are limited to water, milk, 100 percent juices, and healthy snacks.

The St. Cloud district’s wellness policy committee set key goals around nutrition, physical activity, and health education. The committee plans to broaden its reach to school-sponsored fundraising activities to promote nutrition and physical activity.

P A R E N T A L

ADVISORY EXPLICIT TIPS for Beating Obesity They’ll Do as You Do Set a good example. Never buy “grownup” snacks or drinks that your kids aren’t supposed to eat (but often do).

Eat and Run: Sartell kids and parents learn about healthy meals and staying active.

food & fun at school Educators in the Sartell-St. Stephen School District know it’s never too soon to start teaching children about healthy habits, but they recognized that they weren’t doing enough to help keep young children healthy. After attending a conference on childhood obesity, teacher Gayle Smoley could not return to her classroom without taking action. She wanted to infuse fun and family into nutrition and fitness efforts.

The Sartell-St. Stephen Early Childhood Coalition—made up of parents, educators, business leaders, childcare providers and health care professionals—identified the prevention of early childhood obesity as a priority goal. Using a part of their $15,000 Initiative Foundation grant, they launched the Moving, Grooving and Cooking Up Some Food and Fun program. The evening program caters to children up to 8 years old and aims to teach them—and their parents—healthy eating habits.

Children learn to set a dinner table and prepare healthy meals with their families.

Parents attend sessions to learn from some area experts in health, nutrition and physical activity while their children play in a nearby gym.

They’re also encouraging students to make healthier choices at home and bring in nutritious snacks. “I have not had a cupcake all year, and we’ve had five birthdays,” Smoley says.

Smoley and her colleagues continue to develop a heart healthy curriculum in their classrooms and they’re going beyond gym and recess to ensure their students are active. They lead toddlers and preschoolers in stretches and movement exercises in between classroom activities.

The ground is being laid in central Minnesota for a healthier generation of children, but leaders say it only scratches the surface. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation believes that reversing the trend requires national policy and environmental changes that foster increased physical activity and better nutrition.

“Childhood obesity is an epidemic, and we are taking good steps to address this problem,” Liz Haag adds, “but there is so much more we can do in the community, the state and the nation.”

Start with the Liquids This is one of those small steps that can pay off big-time. Limit sugary beverages like soda pop and consider switching to low-fat milk.

Wake Up to Fiber Make sure your kids eat fiber for breakfast. Children should have seven to ten grams of fiber each day and much should be consumed in their first meal.

Portions Rule Remember, most kids can eat any food in moderation. How much food is most important, so be a watchdog with portion sizes. And don’t force them to “clean their plates.”

Weight and See Although it seems logical, don’t focus on weight loss as your only measure of success. Habits and lifestyle are most important. Make healthy foods and physical activity (especially after meals) a part of your daily family activities. The weight loss will follow, but maybe not right away.

Nothing Good Happens Fast Don’t expect overnight changes. Take small steps, be consistent and be patient.

It can take exposing your children to healthy foods up to ten times before they accept them.

Sources: Liz Haag, CentraCare Health System; Dr. Mehmet Oz, cardiothoracic surgeon and author; Jodi Rohe, BLEND coordinator; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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Winter 2007

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The fellowship hall buzzes as dozens of folks wearing loose-fitting clothes take their places on the floor. Lois Tureen raises her arms to end the chatter.

She begins to lead the group through a series of gentle stretches before accelerating to a heart-thumping rhythm. Her age is a vivacious, healthier-than-you seventy-five, and her exploding peer group embodies the new definition of senior citizen.

With one in five central Minnesotans expected to turn sixty-five or better by 2030, a Silver Tsunami is fast approaching. And communities had better be ready for it.

Lois and her fitness club, “Faithfully Fit Forever,” in Cambridge, is just one of many senior groups who are taking charge of their health.

They are a sign of what Minnesotans can expect in the coming years—a more mature population than ever before, and along with it, a new concept of what it means to be a senior. Long gone are the days when sixty-five was old. Today, Minnesotans are living longer, staying more active and giving back to their communities.

They are also growing in number. Exponentially.

“In 2005, Minnesota had 650,000 persons aged sixty-five-plus,” says Loren Colman, assistant commissioner for the Minnesota

Department of Human Services. “By 2030, that number will increase to 1.3 million, or double. The number of people over age eighty-five will triple.”

The question is, are we ready for this unprecedented demographic change? While some may view an increased senior population as taxing to community infrastructure and resources, the reality is that seniors are poised to contribute meaningfully to communities and also sustain struggling economies.

“The coming age-wave is an opportunity for communities,” says Jon Knopik, community services developer for the Central Minnesota

Council on Aging. “Communities that choose to view older adults as an asset will thrive if they grow to meet the needs.”

The rural community of Crosby, a scenic fifteen-mile drive northeast of Brainerd, has taken this opportunity to heart. When the Initiative Foundation selected the Cuyuna Range area to participate in its Healthy Communities Partnership program in 2000, local residents identified senior services as a priority for future planning. According to the Council on Aging, central Minnesota’s senior population is projected to swell from 12 percent to 19 percent by 2030.

“We need to take action now to address CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

By Britta Reque-Dragicevic | Photography by Jim Altobell Winter 2007

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Seniority System: Cuyuna Regional Medical Center’s Thomas Reek and Jac McTaggart survey the site of its new Heartwood Senior Living Community in Crosby, opening in 2008 to serve aging residents while boosting downtown commerce and connections.

how to support our aging residents,” says John Schaubach, CEO of the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby. “We’re also asking what can be done to attract and support a younger generation of workers to support the services seniors will require.”

Minnesotans are living longer due to better, more-advanced medical care that can prevent and treat acute and chronic illnesses. Advanced medical care and accessible technologies are vital components to supporting a senior population. “(Our hospital) will see more people in their eighties, nineties, and one hundreds, so access and location of services is key,” says Schaubach. “We believe people of advanced age will not be as able to travel to, say, Minneapolis for care as readily as someone in their sixties or seventies.”

In addition to medical care, which includes assisted living, long-term care, home healthcare, and transportation to medical facilities, Colman says that communities should also make plans to incorporate the knowledge, professional experience, and insight seniors have to offer.

“One of the ways that communities can

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both support and benefit from seniors is by offering opportunities for work—both paid and non-paid,” adds Colman. “Seniors can be a wonderful resource, especially in parts of Minnesota facing labor shortages, and through civic engagement and other volunteer roles that add to the social capital within communities.”

Fitness and physical exercise is of paramount importance to aging adults. Both communities and seniors themselves need to take responsibility for promoting active lifestyles, Schaubach says. Walking is an especially important physical activity for seniors.

“The benefits of getting people up and about, moving and interacting with people are tremendous,” says Tureen. A retired physical education teacher and coach, Tureen sees physical fitness as instrumental to living longer. “The body needs to move! It’s good for your metabolism, your blood pressure, your mobility. When you don’t exercise, it’s like warehousing your body.”

Tureen volunteered to direct the Faithfully Fit Forever program five years ago when she saw that no one else was filling the position. Her

group ranges from ages forty to eighty-seven, of all shapes and sizes, and many have had knee or hip replacements.

“One man is paralyzed on one side of his body, but he and his wife are here every session,” Tureen said. “People feel comfortable here. They enjoy the social aspect and the fact that the classes are fun and beneficial.”

According to Dan Frank, the Initiative Foundation’s program manager for community development, communities can respond to senior wellness through low-cost efforts—organize walking clubs and make sure sidewalks are safe, lighted, and clear of snow and debris.

Infrastructure improvements, such as trail systems and community centers, are far more difficult and expensive to achieve, he says, but many areas have realized the benefits of public investments. Community planning is most important.

“Even if you look at it as purely an economic development strategy, all downtowns should make plans for locating senior housing within walking distance to retail stores, parks, and medical services,” adds Frank. “It comes down to a simple philosophy of community planning—

what’s good for seniors and kids is usually good for everybody.”

Cuyuna Regional Medical Center is currently developing its $23 million Heartwood Senior Living Community with apartment homes and assisted living units for 150 residents. The campus will be located within walking distance of Crosby’s downtown, as well as an elementary school, park, beach, and the Hallet Community Center, which caters to seniors. In 2008, the expansive Cuyuna Lakes State Trail will also connect to the campus.

“The housing project will include a town center with amenities that will keep seniors active and engaged in life activities,” adds Schaubach. “We have plans for intergenerational activities like tutoring students and also learning from students, especially with computers.”

“Knowing what is available in your community—both services you may need and how you can serve others—is the best way for older adults and their families to prepare for the future,” says Bridget Britz, executive director of Horizon Health Services. Her organization provides assisted living, home healthcare, and consulting to

communities preparing for increased senior populations.

“Transportation is also a very important issue, especially in our rural communities where public transportation is usually not available,” she says. “How will people get safely to medical appointments and do other essential errands? We have to depend on volunteers, and we need funding for mileage reimbursement and other ‘hard costs’ of volunteering.”

Britz joins Initiative Foundation leaders and senior advocates in sending the message that the time for planning was yesterday, and now it’s time to catch up.

Minnesotans have a chance to create intergenerational communities that embrace and support seniors, she says, but doing so depends on citizens, governments, nonprofits, and businesses working together.

“Communities are strongest when a healthy mix of generations reside and interact within them,” adds Britz. “The social benefits of an increased senior population include preservation of the history and legacy of a community.”

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“Seniors can be a wonderful resource,

especially in parts of Minnesota facing labor shortages, and through civic engagement and other volunteer roles that add to the social capital within communities. –LOREN COLMAN

”

New-Age: Faithfully Fit Forever in Cambridge.

BENEATH THE NUMBERS Central Minnesota residents who will be 65+ by 2030, which is significantly higher than today’s 12%.

Central Minnesota residents who will be 85+ by 2030, which is nearly double the current number.

Minnesota’s Baby Boomers who will not have adequate retirement income to support their health and long-term care costs.

Minnesota seniors who currently volunteer, anchoring the state’s national #3 ranking.

Minnesota’s average life expectancy in 2000, up 1.3 years since 1990.

Sources: Central Minnesota Council on Aging; A Blueprint for 2010: Preparing Minnesota for the Age Wave by Minnesota Departments of Human Services, Health & Aging. www.dhs.state.mn.us/2010

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He braves undercover ice, dodges snowdrifts, and fires an occasional evil-eye toward inattentive drivers. Visit the new-and-improved Cambridge, and you’ll find eighty-year-old Alf Stratte walking twelve thousand steps a day—his equivalent of six miles—throughout the community. He likes to take different routes, meandering through the town’s improved sidewalks, and stopping every once in a while to rest on a well-placed bench. One of the most walkable communities in central Minnesota, Cambridge has been retrofitted to yesteryear, when a generation of healthier people didn’t think twice about walking to work, school, parks, and shopping. Today, a growing number of hometowns are embracing a throwback shift in culture and community planning, rethinking a world that was built for cars instead of people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 25 percent of all Americans are sedentary, getting virtually no exercise at all during the day, let alone the thirty minutes the U.S. Surgeon General recommends.

Sedentary lifestyles are the most-fingered suspects for skyrocketing health insurance costs that are crippling families and businesses alike. Physical inactivity and obesity also places people at heightened risk for serious conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

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According to Mark Fenton, a national community health consultant, author and host of PBS’s America Walks, the solution is not promoting “appointment exercise,” such as gym memberships and home fitness machines, but rather building opportunities into everyday environments that make physical activity too convenient to ignore.

“Sadly, almost two decades worth of experience suggest we’ll be fighting a losing battle if the goal is simply to get people to ‘exercise’ more,” says Fenton.

Dog-Gone: Once on the endangered list, sidewalks and trails are (mercifully) making a comeback.

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“We want people to have fun, to enjoy moving—people didn’t know where they could already walk, so we made maps and put up signs.” —BILL CARLSON

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“Not only do we have power devices—from lawnmowers to washing machines, elevators to automobiles—to do all of our work for us, Americans rarely walk or bicycle anywhere anymore.” —MARK FENTON “We’ve been talking about exercise, and we’re talking about it more now than ever, but apparently we’re not prepared to do any more of it, no matter how much we’re told we should.

“Not only do we have power devices— from lawnmowers to washing machines, elevators to automobiles—to do all of our work for us,” he adds, “Americans rarely walk or bicycle anywhere anymore.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, walking trips were roughly cut in half from 1977 to 1995, while automobile trips rose to become almost 90 percent of all trips.

Fenton believes the answer lies in how our communities are designed. Design elements like cleared sidewalks, slower traffic speeds, parks, trails, and safe routes to schools make physical activity convenient, because they’re right outside the front door.

Historically, Minnesota’s non-farm families lived within walking distance to vibrant downtowns that had all the features and amenities they needed to live. Shopping, doctors, schools, libraries, employment— they were all located within a short stroll.

When the automobile became universally affordable and cities began to sprawl, oncecommon walking routines—the kind no

one thought of as “exercise”—began to fade from everyday life.

Responding to mounting public demand and working to improve community aesthetics, local government planners and private developers are beginning to incorporate design elements that facilitate walking and other physical activity. Such strategies help make communities healthier and more attractive as well as encourage social interactions. The sense of community is heightened.

“Activity-friendly communities make sense for many reasons,” says Phil Bors, project officer with Active Living by Design.

“Arguably, the most sustainable reason for many community leaders is that active transportation is “green” transportation.

Getting more people to drive less and travel on foot, by bike, and with transit can lower carbon emissions.” Active Living by Design is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that provides expertise aimed at increasing routine physical activity and healthy eating through changes in community design.

Cambridge participated in the Initiative Foundation’s Healthy Communities Partnership (HCP) citizen planning and leadership program and

began to work on parks and trails issues. It was a $200,000 grant by Active Living by Design that enabled Cambridge to kickstart efforts to create a more walkable environment. The cities of Cambridge, Isanti, and Braham are within 15 miles of each other.

For years, citizens drove to each city for their distinctive recreational features.

Connecting trails were discussed for nearly twenty years before the grant made it possible to begin taking action.

“We discovered that many people didn’t know where they could already walk in the area, so we made maps and put up signs,” says Bill Carlson who spearheaded the Isanti County Active Living program.

“Sometimes people just need to be shown where they can take advantage of walking.”

Walking loops and nature trails are well-marked in Cambridge. While Isanti County incorporated master plans for parks and trails, the cities of Braham and Cambridge adopted policies that require sidewalks and connections to trail systems on all new developments. Cambridge is now developing a “safe walk to school” program.

Last fall, nearly two hundred people turned out for a “walk to school” day.

“We want people to have fun, to enjoy moving,” says Carlson, who has noticed CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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Mix uses. Retail stores, schools, offices, and housing should be close together to encourage walking instead of driving. Downtown senior housing, nearby neighborhoods, and above-store apartments can provide an economic boost.

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Decelerate. Scary traffic is a major deterrent to would-be walkers, bikers, and parents

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Complete streets. Roadways can accommodate more than just cars. Include marked

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Integrate sidewalks & trails. Just like roads, sidewalks and trails should connect destinations and provide a true alternative to driving. Street lamps and “green buffers” (between sidewalks and streets) offer a sense of security. People get to know each other better when they share a path.

Sources: Initiative Foundation, Active Living by Design and Mark Fenton.

Illustration by Ted Tollefson.

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who are already nervous about letting kids walk to school. Narrow road widths, lower speed-limits, and install “bump-outs” at intersections to slow cars. bike lanes, pedestrian crossings, and weatherproof transit stops as well as landscaping, public art, and benches that make the outdoor community inviting and enjoyable.

Winterize. Moving is a year-round activity. Check that existing paths are cleared of ice and snow.

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Rethink schools. Make sure that kids have safe walking and biking routes to

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Park it. Parks and playgrounds are busiest when they’re located near

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Go Along for the Ride. For those who can’t drive cars,

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Sign up. Well-placed signs that promote walking and

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Get together. Your community’s leaders and

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schools from nearby neighborhoods. Explore the “walking school bus” concept, where adults chaperone kids to and from school. neighborhoods and businesses. Even today’s high-tech kids will play outside if they have access to playground equipment that’s close and safe. public transportation offers the privilege of mobility. The best part?

Each fuel-saving trip begins and ends with walking or biking.

7

biking, display trail maps, or advertise health benefits can help change the drive-first culture of communities. planners want to create the best place for you to live. Conduct a walkability tour, and then share your ideas with decision-makers. Consider transforming park and recreation boards into active living partnerships with citizen reps from all facets of your community.

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Going Green: For the Kaplan-Hickman family, a lifetime of healthy eating starts every Sunday afternoon.

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A hundred years later, the scale has shifted. Most are now aware of the health problems associated with physical inactivity and poor nutrition, but in a perfect storm of popular culture and new-fangled technology, the odds are often stacked against us.

Despite the hollow promises of miracle supplements, fad diets, and yo-yo fitness routines, experts agree there are no short-cuts.

Slowly but surely, we must take steps to transform our lifestyle.

Andrew Nelson never thought much about his weight as a child. But that changed once he reached junior high-school. Nelson, now a senior at St. Cloud State University, still remembers sitting at the lunch table amidst the wise cracks and jokes about his flabby physique. Those moments were filled with insecurities and low self-esteem. “I got sick of being the brunt of all the fat jokes,” says Nelson.

Establishing a morning routine that continues today, Andrew woke up early to exercise before class and wiped out the majority of calories he once enjoyed.

He dropped nearly forty pounds during the first three months of his freshman swimming season, only to be told by his doctor that his crash-diet habits likely stunted his growth.

Today, he eats four to five smaller meals a day to keep his energy level high. He doesn’t count calories, but remains mindful of everything he consumes. He sticks to lean meats, avoids fried or greasy foods, and chooses milk over Mountain Dew. “I haven’t eaten a candy bar in years,” says Nelson.

“You can’t look at it as a chore, but rather as an investment into your future.”

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Two-thirds of American adults now are either overweight or obese, with adult obesity rates exceeding 25 percent in nineteen states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2004–2006, the percentage of obese adults in Minnesota ranged from 20 to 25 percent. If the last thing people want is extra baggage, what’s behind the trend?

Economics & Techno-Pressure The economics of eating right and exercising have changed over the years, and in some cases, made the unhealthy options easier and less expensive.

Technological advancements have reduced U.S. food prices by increasing the quantity and quality of foods available. Food prices, in stores or restaurants, have fallen faster than other items, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

They dropped 12 percent between 1952 and 2003—not including quality improvements that reduce the time cost of acquiring and preparing food. Technology also has heightened the availability of foods that were once seasonal and introduced a long line of ready-to-eat foods.

“America has an overabundance of calories it can consume at very low prices,” said King Banaian, chairman of the economics department at St. Cloud State University.

Economists know availability and prices play a critical role in the food choices consumers make and some leading economists from Harvard University even point to them as the reason for the recent obesity crisis.

Technology also has reduced the need for physical activity at work, requiring Americans to become proactive in managing healthy activity levels. The cost of that physical activity has risen with the influx of large fitness facilities, gym memberships, and subscriptions to health-related magazines, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Time-Starvation Today’s family lifestyle often is not conducive to good nutrition and regular physical activity. Adults and kids alike are overworked, overscheduled, and looking for a fast solution to ease their grumbling stomachs.

Jean Twenge, Ph.D., a psychology professor at San Diego State University, analyzed research spanning five decades and found that today’s adolescents and teens are CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

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College Try: Despite constant temptations, Andrew Nelson seldom veers from his daily routine at St. Cloud State University.

We’re with UCare!

They’re serving up more and we’re paying less.

Increased benefits and reduced rates are coming in 2008.

UCare for Seniors helps you get more from your Medicare plan. And, in 2008, our reduced rates and gap coverage for generic prescriptions mean there’s never been a better time to enroll. From your prescription drugs to eyewear to dental, UCare is health care that star ts with you!

1-877-523-1518 (toll free) TTY: 1-800-688-2534 (toll free) www.ucare.org

UCare Minnesota is a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract.

©2007 UCare. H2459 092607 (100107) F Photo is of actual UCare for Seniors members.

GOOD EATS

BY DAWN ZIMMERMAN

Growing Home Local Foods & Farmers’ Markets Take Root

G

rowing local foods has become more than a job for Jenny Kutter, production gardener at Common Ground Garden in St. Joseph. It has become a hobby that captures her free time. Her latest challenge: making her own cheese. The idea sprung from a book she read, which promised the task is fit for an amateur with a little patience.

Between a series of gardens on the Kutter farm in Grey Eagle and visits to area farmers’ markets, the young couple eats almost only locally grown food.

“I probably spend half of my free time in my kitchen,” says Kutter. “It means a lot to me when I can share it with people.”

Last growing season, fifty-six families benefited from Kutter’s green thumb at Common Ground, a Community Supported Agriculture farm. The CSA started in 1993 and received initial funding from the Initiative Foundation. Its members buy shares of the field each growing season, and in return, they receive fresh produce each week.

A growing demand for local products, spurred by health-conscious consumers and national food contamination scares, has heightened the popularity of community gardens and farmers’ markets, says Linda Ulland, director of the University of Minnesota Central Region’s Sustainable Development Partnership.

“People are more interested in what they eat,” says Ulland. “They’re concerned about being healthy, and they want to know where their food is coming from.”

In rural Minnesota, particularly, demand for farmers’ markets has outpaced the number of vendors, according to Terry

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Nennich, a regional educator for the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Five years ago, the state promoted about fifty farmers’ markets. That number has more than doubled to 110 markets.

Since 2000, the Initiative Foundation has helped to establish farmers’ markets in six central Minnesota communities with Prairie Bay Chef Matt Annand: “(Locally grown) food tastes better. grants of more than $32,000.

It’s fresher, it’s more vibrant, and the customers notice it.”

“We’ve found that farmers’ markets are a great strategy for revitalizing That growth has caught the attention of downtowns,” says Kathy Gaalswyk, Initiative some of the state’s top chefs. Matt Annand, Foundation president. “They attract shopexecutive chef at Prairie Bay Grill & Catering pers while supporting family farms and in Baxter, works with about fifteen producers healthy living. You even have to walk to get and visits three farmers’ markets a week to there, so that’s a plus.” buy or order products he incorporates in the According to the Minnesota restaurant’s menu. Annand says the use of Department of Agriculture, locally grown local products in menu items differentiates foods generally taste better and contain more Prairie Bay in the marketplace and continues nutritional value. Since the ingredients in the to generate more interest among patrons. average American dinner travel 1,500 miles Each semester, Jeff Chounard, chef before reaching the table, they say that local manager of St. John’s University in foods are also environmentally friendly Collegeville, creates a lunch and dinner because they reduce the need for fuel and menu made with locally grown food. This packaging materials. requires about fifteen more hours of plan“When you buy locally, you improve the ning and costs 15–20 percent more than a economy of your community because the traditional cafeteria meal, but gives the comdollars stay there,” says St. Benedict Sister munity an economic boost.

Phyllis Plantenberg, who helped start the St. “(Locally grown) food tastes better,” says Joseph Farmers’ Market and is director of Annand. “It’s fresher, it’s more vibrant, and Common Ground. the customers notice it. If you can get a good Organic farming has become one of the price for it, it’s good business as a chef.” fastest growing segments in U.S. agriculture To learn more about farmers’ markets with sales expected to reach $23.8 billion by and locally grown food in your area, visit 2010, according to the U.S. Department of www.minnesotagrown.org.

Agriculture. Minnesota ranked fourth in top React at IQMAG.ORG producing organic cropland in 2005.

Successful Communities Are Built, Not Born

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403 Fourth Street NW, Suite 310 • Bemidji, MN • (218) 444-4732 www.stewardacademy.com Winter 2007

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OUT AND ABOUT

BY BRITTA REQUE-DRAGICEVIC

Icebreakers Hot Tips to Winterize Your Diet & Exercise

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or many Minnesotans, the mere thought of venturing out in the winter wonderland to exercise is, well, chilling. Despite living in a state famous for its frostbite winters, we don’t like to be cold. Or wet. But we also don’t like to be fat. Staying fit in the winter can be a challenge. With holidays heralded by rich foods, gatherings celebrated with casseroles, and the ever-present temptation of baked “goodies,” neither grandma nor Mother Nature makes it easy to sustain warm-weather routines.

But there are ways to keep calories in check, get beneficial exercise, and make healthy living a year-round lifestyle. We asked a couple of wintertime experts to share their tips for staying healthy and fit during this blustery season.

Temper Your Nostalgia It’s traditional to focus on cozy scenes of sitting by the fire, spending afternoons baking cookies, and hibernating indoors. Part of the appeal of traditions is the comfort of knowing that this is the way your family has always done things, but every winter season you have the option of starting new traditions. If your family usually watches a movie on Sunday afternoons, consider a shift. Take a family walk around the neighborhood. It makes the fireside cocoa more enjoyable.

Amy Guzek is director of St. Cloud’s StrollerStrides Club, a national organization that focuses on fitness for new moms and their babies. Starting new traditions is something Guzek encourages moms to do.

“When it’s cold we just want to sit inside and bundle up,” says Guzek, “but it’s also a great opportunity for moms to

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establish new traditions and habits in their young children, Hopefully, when they’re adults, they will make better decisions about winter activities than we did growing up.”

Too Close for Comfort?

Nutrition is another challenge in Amy Guzek, St. Cloud StrollerStrides: “(Winter is) a great opportunity for moms to establish new traditions winter. “What’s better than a hotand habits in their young children.” dish on a cold winter day, and if it’s creamy and cheesy, even better,” adds Guzek. “Whether baking for a example, offers two swimming pools, a kid’s holiday event or just to warm up the house, gym, and member childcare services for just just remember that all of those extra treats one dollar per hour. Can’t find something are a temptation.” that interests you? Gather friends and start No winter is complete without comfortyour own activity or club. foods, but Guzek suggests keeping your fridge well-stocked with healthy foods and Bundle Up beverages, so it’s convenient to make smart Many of us throw on a jacket and freeze after choices. And remember, most winter recipes ten minutes. Invest in winter clothing that can be altered to reduce sugar, calories, and truly keeps you warm. Invest in gear like fat content. snowpants, ski jackets, scarves, hats, mittens, Why Wait for Summer? and boots—clothes that will truly keep you It’s no secret that Minnesota offers numerous warm. And when you’re warm, winter in winter activities for all different physical fitMinnesota can be a lot of fun! ness levels. “I see more women buying snow“The most important thing to remember shoes for themselves and their small chilabout winter dressing is to layer,” suggests dren. You can use any boot with snowshoes, Smith. “Start with a base layer that is and they’re easy for families to transport and designed to wick moisture away from your use,” says Jenny Smith, owner of Crosby’s skin. When you layer, you can remove Cycle, Path, and Paddle—a sports equipclothes when you start to get too hot. There ment shop for “silent” sports. She also recis a real danger of getting hot, sweating, and ommends ice-skating and sledding. then cooling off—and you can get hypotherCheck out your local community edumia that way. Remember, 80 percent of your cation office postings for fitness classes, skatbody heat is lost through your head, so make ing, swimming, or church-sponsored activisure to wear a hat.”

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37

TRAILS

BY CYNTHIA MOE

Roads Less Traveled Minnesotans Embark on Trail-Carving Spree

A

fter spearheading a twelve-year grassroots campaign to reclaim the abandoned Burlington Northern Railroad bed, real-estate broker, and Pine River resident, Terry McGaughey, beamed as crews paved the first few miles of the Paul Bunyan Trail, eventually winding its way from Brainerd to Bemidji. At more than one hundred miles, it would become the longest rail-to-trail conversion in the U.S. Initial response to the idea was bland, but McGaughey persevered. He knew that the recreational benefits were only the beginning. Public trails are great for community health, social interaction, and tourism, he says. Hundreds of other advocates provided the local and legislative traction to bring Paul Bunyan to life in 1995, sparking a decadelong revolution of trail-carving in Minnesota.

The Minnesota DNR estimates that 20,605 miles of trails currently crisscross the state. To put that in perspective, the circumference of the earth is about 24,900 miles, and Minnesota trails are catching up.

According to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Washington, D.C., Minnesota has thirtyseven more rail-to-trail conversions in the works, which would add 596 miles.

“Overall, parks, trails, and recreation have been the number-one priority of citizens in our Healthy Communities Partnership (HCP) program since 1997,” says Don Hickman, the Initiative Foundation’s program manager for planning and preservation. HCP is a citizen leadership and community planning program that has graduated more than one hundred central Minnesota communities.

“Easy access to trails has become a key

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

quality of life factor for many homebuyers, and it can really become a calling card for communities,” adds Hickman. “Although people have shown they are willing to drive long distances to a destination trail, they would much rather have one in their backyard.”

Although the cost of building Chuck Wocken, Stearns County: “Trails are linear parks trails can be considerable— that connect communities.” $120,000 or more per mile depending on the surface and the communities spend years striving to land need for bridges—today there is little this support.” question that trails attract tourism dolChuck Wocken, director of the lars. A 2003 article by American Trails Stearns County Parks Department, reported that the sixty-mile Root River describes trails as, “linear parks that conTrail provided an economic boost to the nect communities.” The county is home southeastern Minnesota city of to the Lake Wobegon Trail, which stretchLanesboro, with a population of just 788. es forty-six miles from St. Joseph to Sauk After the trail was completed, Lanesboro Centre. A 2006 survey revealed that 30 attracted twelve B&Bs (with year-long percent of Stearns County residents had waiting lists), eight restaurants, and a used the trail, a higher rate of use than host of other tourist attractions. One any other park in the area. Respondents “mom and pop” bike shop even sold sixty also said that they craved safe, scenic tandem bicycles in a banner year.

Wayne Hurley is the planning director areas to hike and bike more than any for the West Central Initiative, one of six other outdoor option in the survey. “[Besides trails] the most important Minnesota Initiative Foundations. He says need for the future is for transportation if citizen groups are determined to develop engineers and planners to include bicycle trails in their area, they should contact their pathways as part of their road projects,” local planning director or city planner. says Wocken. “Even New York City is Even with the necessary public and finandownsizing some of its vehicle lanes so they cial support, Hurley cautions, the process can fit bicycles into the transportation mix. will take a minimum two to five years. And It saves money and creates healthier citizens.” public funding doesn’t come easily.

For more info, links, and maps of “Even in the best of years, federal highMinnesota’s trails, visit www.mntrails.com. way funds support perhaps six new trail projects statewide,” says Hickman. “The React at IQMAG.ORG process is highly competitive and many

Winter 2007

39

> LEADERSHIP

Presidential Appointment SCSU’s Potter Joins Board of Trustees

J

oining forces to strengthen communities is high on the priority list for Dr. Earl H. Potter, III. To advance that goal, the new president of St. Cloud State University accepted an invitation to serve on the Initiative Foundation’s regional board of trustees.

“The links between rural communities and their regional centers always need consideration,” he says. “It is my belief that the health of the whole region will depend on our understanding of the connections between these communities.”

Dr. Potter began his tenure as president of St. Cloud State University in July and has held previous positions at Southern Oregon

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

University, Eastern Michigan University, Lesley University, Cornell University, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology and M.S. in Psychology from the University of Washington and graduated with honors from Williams College. The only field that rivals Potter’s higher-education background is community development; Potter joins the board with thirty-plus years in community development in six different states.

“St. Cloud State University is an academic, cultural, and economic treasure for our state,” says Dave Gruenes, fellow trustee.

“Combining the resources of two strong insti-

SCSU President Earl H. Potter, III

tutions will benefit our entire region.”

“It is a privilege to have been invited to join the board of one of the most important catalysts for the development of central Minnesota,” adds Potter. React at IQMAG.ORG

> GIVING

Our ROI: 501%

Cheryl Scapanski, Benton Cooperative Telephone.

(No, that’s not a typo.)

E

very Initiative Foundation supporter deserves a straight answer to one simple question: “What’s the bang for my buck?”

The foundation pondered this question by studying its twenty-year history of donor gifts and charitable investments by county. The result? Every dollar invested in the Initiative Foundation earns a real-money return of 501 percent to central Minnesota hometowns. Wow. “To be totally honest, that number even surprised us. We knew it would be high, but it was so high that we went back and checked our math,” says Curt Hanson, vice president for donor services. “We wanted to be accountable to our donors and show them that their gift is

making a difference locally.”

The McKnight Foundation has again promised to match Initiative Foundation contributions up to $2.2 million, which will double the gifts of more than nine hundred donors like Benton Cooperative Telephone and Kuepers Construction.

“We give to the foundation because it touches so many organizations and covers such a variety of good things,” says Cheryl Scapanski, general manager at Benton Cooperative Telephone in Rice. The telecommunications provider serves over 4,200 customers in four counties.

“The foundation doesn’t just address one issue,” adds Steve Kuepers, executive vice president of Kuepers Construction in Baxter.

“They’re cognizant of many issues and are really grassroots. I appreciate that.” Since 1973, Kuepers has provided award-winning design and construction services to residential and commercial customers.

What’s the ROI in your county?

Visit www.ifound.org and click on Donor Services. React at IQMAG.ORG

Winter 2007

41

> BUSINESS

Future Food Foundation Finances “Intelligent Ingredients” in Princeton

I

f you’ve heard of culinology—the blending of culinary arts and food science— you’re probably in the minority. But listen to Kurt Stiles, chef, author, speaker, and thirty-year food industry veteran, and you’ll get the gist.

“It’s really the new way of food. We want to literally make food as medicine,” says Stiles. “So, instead of over-processed foods aided by a pill, a powder, or a supplement, the nutrition that our bodies need can be met with one of our products.”

Stiles is CEO and owner of Intelligent Ingredients, Inc., a food and beverage product-development company that will soon be

located in Princeton—thanks to a financing package from the Initiative Foundation and the Princeton Community Loan Fund. The investment will help create eight quality jobs in its first two years.

By transforming natural seeds into concentrated meals, flours, and oils, the company plans to infuse everyday beverages and baked goods with healthy nutrients.

Backed by university research, all of its products will contain 100 percent pure forms of naturally occurring antioxidants and vitamins.

“The fact that it’s very cutting-edge is really the most exciting part for us,” adds

Central Lakes College graduates are everywhere, contributing to central Minnesota’s quality of life. They are peace officers, nurses, teachers, accountants and others who got their start at CLC. Central Lakes College offers degree programs, business & industry training, small business services & donor giving opportunities.

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

Kurt Stiles, Intelligent Ingredients, Inc.

Jay Blake, community development director with the City of Princeton. “We felt that it will create a different type of employment opportunity.” React at IQMAG.ORG

Winter 2007

43

Communities are preparing for the aging of the baby boom generation through intentional planning initiatives called COMMUNITIES FOR A LIFETIME. The Central MN Council on Aging provides support to cities and townships in the 14-county area by: *Helping assess liveability for older residents. *Partnering to develop action plans to becomee more liveable. *Providing access to innovative community development and service models. *Helping utilize the expertise and skills of older residents. *Exploring home and community-based service options for older adults and family caregivers.

To learn more about specific ways CMCOA works with cities contact Lori Vrolson at

320-253-9349 or Lori@CMCOA.org Senior LinkAge Line: 1-800-333-2433

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

WALKABILITY, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

“Providing connectivity between daily activities—home to work to school to leisure—without involving the automobile, is a high priority for us.” both kids and adults playing hopscotch on painted Cambridge sidewalks. “Braham is planning to add dance steps on theirs.”

In the St. Cloud area, the growing city of Sartell has taken similar strides. Residents prioritized recreational opportunities and natural resource preservation in a townhallstyle meeting through the HCP program. Its solution: Add to thirty-nine miles of alwaysbusy pedestrian trails that connect neighborhoods and nature. Infrastructure is never

—PATTI GARTLAND

cheap, says Patti Gartland, Sartell’s city administrator, but if enhancements are planned with a long-term vision in mind, the benefits can be worth the public investment.

“Plans for more than eight miles of additional trails will come at an estimated cost of $883,000, or roughly $110,000 per mile,” she says. “Eight-five percent of Sartell residents said that they think this is important or very important, so providing connectivity between daily activities—home to work to

Patti Gartland (left) with Anita Rasmussen, City of Sartell.

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

school to leisure—without involving the automobile—is a high priority for us.”

Communities are also beginning to mandate sidewalks and trail connections in development plans. While developers often resist government intervention in commercial and neighborhood designs due to increased costs, cities are finding ways to make such ordinances more palatable.

“They have offered the developer something in return, such as higher density levels,” says Dan Frank, the Initiative Foundation’s program manager for community development. “This way, developers can recoup the additional expense, and if designed well, they can use the parks, open space, sidewalks, and trails as a marketing incentive to buyers.”

Inevitably, redesigning communities for active living will require infrastructure invest-

ments, but cities can begin by making less costly, incremental changes.

“Some improvements can be relatively inexpensive, such as improved signage, enhanced crossing signals, painting crosswalks, bike lanes, and re-striping travel lanes to provide more space for bicycles and slow car traffic,” says Bors, adding that citizens bear responsibility for getting involved, too.

“Parks and trails can be ‘adopted’ by neighborhood groups who plant trees and conduct periodic clean-up days.”

Communities are ultimitely built by people. And citizens need to take charge of how their community approaches active living, Bors adds.

“It’s important to remember that developers aren’t the bad guys, but if residents find that this issue is important to them, they can

learn what their city does or does not require developers to do with new construction,” Frank suggests. “They can work to get sidewalks or trails included in plans, or ask their city council to appoint a commission that looks at the health impacts of any new development before it’s approved.”

People can also start by walking, gaining long-term health benefits while gauging their community’s walkability up-close. Ideas for improvements are sure to abound. Just ask the ageless Alf Stratte.

“Walking makes me feel good,” he says. “It’s good for my bloodpressure and cholesterol, and most of all, I enjoy doing it.”

React at IQMAG.ORG

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Winter 2007

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

plate, aller your m s e h T dishes.”

E hrunk the ion. s I , conds. y e n o • ”H port ack for se r b u o g y in r o e g ll the sma tes before -15 minu t them after all.

0 1 ome and it a W • ogurt at h t wan y o n d t n a h , ig s You m s, veggie s. p on fruit • Stock u to battle junk-food at work rther e Exercis ing spot.” Parking afat the same time. . & e v o e M ark m ailing the e “good p nd exercis • Redefin ows you to shop a esk instead of e-m it up into away all ur co-worker’s d ercise, but break yo y ex • Walk to 0 minutes of dail 3 • Aim for minute sessions. easy 10-

nk at & Dri

eps Baby Stto diet soda.

• Switch to your cereal. . it skim milk • Add fru inny” lattes with n your pizza. o sk • Order “ meat with veggies e • Replac Sources: US Dept. of Health & Human Services & Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. For more tips, visit www.smallstep.gov or www.do-groove.com.

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

overtaxed and overburdened to a degree that once was seen only in child psychiatric patients.

Some restaurateurs have seized the opportunity. The number of fast-food restaurants per capita doubled between 1972 and 1997 while full-service restaurants rose 35 percent during that period, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Foods that individuals eat outside of their homes have more calories ounce-for-ounce than food prepared at home, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture research.

Many time-starved families do not live in a fast food nation as much as they do a Hamburger Helper hamlet.

Running from soccer to theatre practice to church has increased families’ dependency on convenience foods that often lack nutrition. Food manufacturers have begun to make it easy for busy consumers by providing snack bags of carrots, frozen vegetables ready for a stir-fry, and other convenient healthy alternatives.

In central Minnesota, the changing perception and demand for health food may be developing a market for alternative restaurants and retailers. When entrepreneurs, Michelle Nadeau and Dean Flanders, struggled to loosen the grip that autism and other disabilities had on their son, they discovered that eliminating dietary bleaching agents, preservatives, and trans-fats had a positive impact on his behavior. This led the parents to create a

healthy fast-food chain. In 2006, they opened The Salad Bowl, Inc., in St. Cloud’s Crossroads Center. They plan to open a second restaurant in 2008, with organic soups, sandwiches, and salads.

Do. Health organizations, medical professionals, and government agencies have developed resources to make it easier for consumers to make healthy choices. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota spent $2.4 million in 2006 on television advertising for its widely known campaign to encourage Minnesotans to become active. The health insurance provider believes it will generate high returns in reduced medical costs.

“I think it can be overwhelming for families, so one of the things we recommend is to keep it simple,” says Carolyn Link, director of strategy at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Center for Prevention.

The campaign aims to change the way consumers think about common tasks, such as parking their cars, getting to work, or gardening. The embedded message: Living a healthy lifestyle means refusing a front-row parking spot or standing in line for the elevator. It requires a psychological shift that triggers the brain to recognize and seize opportunities to be healthier.

One in six Minnesota adults engage in no weekly exercise, and less than half get the recommended thirty minutes per day of physical activity, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Treating preventable diseases and medical conditions steal $100 annually from every

Minnesota adult and child—a whopping total of $495 million.

Proof is in the Planning According to BCBS, shifting the trend will take time, self-discipline, and even some courage, because active living goes against the grain of American culture. Many busy families must go to great lengths to fit healthy meals into jam-packed weekdays.

Sandra Kaplan spends four hours in the kitchen most Sundays, cleaning and cutting vegetables for homemade meals later in the week.

Some mornings, the Merrifield mother of two wakes up thirty minutes early to peel carrots, chop onions, or cut up fruit for dinner that evening. She partially bakes some dishes before freezing them to cut down on cooking time before weekday dinners.

“Planning ahead and prep-cooking helps us as a family,” says Kaplan, a biology instructor at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.

Families can begin by adding bananas to their morning cereal or placing a bowl of fruit on the counter to keep the healthy alternative accessible and top of mind, says Link. The mother of three also encourages families to make eating fruits and vegetables fun for the children by creating catchy names like “Power Peas” and “Broccoli Trees.”

“Unfortunately, there is no quick fix,” says Link. “It really is about creating healthy environments that make it easy for people to make good health choices.”

React at IQMAG.ORG

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

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K E E P I N G Y O U R B U S I N E S S H E A LT H Y Winter 2007

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GUEST EDITORIAL

BY MARK FENTON

The Wrong Epidemic ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS McALLISTER

Focus on Physical Activity and Nutrition, Not Obesity

A

bout five years ago, filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock, hounded me to be in his documentary movie about the obesity epidemic. His concept: Eat only McDonald’s food for thirty days and see what it did to his metabolism. So I gave him an interview and suggested that he also restrict his daily physical activity. Sadly, he followed this horrible advice. His sudden sedentary lifestyle and abhorrent diet led his physicians to urge him to give up the experiment by week three.

Supersize Me won Spurlock the Sundance Film Festival’s “Best Director” award in the documentary category. He was also nominated for an Academy Award.

America has declared war on the obesity epidemic. We’re told that one-third of adults have a body mass index over thirty— considered obese by the medical world due to the health risks it engenders, from cardiovascular disease to Type II diabetes (once called “adult onset diabetes” until it became prevalent in teens). The only thing worse than the fact that we’ll be the heaviest American generation ever, is that our children will be even heavier. Can you imagine?

Projections of the federal budget deficit show steeply climbing line-graphs going veritably vertical about 2015 or so, with babyboomers hitting the Lipitor-age. Forget Social Security, which has a mere projected burden of $2 trillion annually by 2050. It’s Medicaid, clocking in at $2.67 trillion a year and rising, which will really bust the bank.

With my career-long devotion to bothering Americans to exercise more, all this attention being paid to a major health issue should warm the cockles of my health-promoting heart. There’s only one little prob-

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Initiative Quarterly • IQmag.org

lem—all of these experts are focusing on the wrong epidemic. And if I may be so bold, they are totally missing the point.

Obesity is just the tip of the chronic disease iceberg. What we should be talking about are the twin epidemics of physical inactivity and poor nutrition.

As long as we talk only about the obesity epidemic, we think and act like victims of an infectious disease requiring treatment.

The results are an empty hope for a miracle drug to “cure” obesity, billions spent on a diet industry that perpetuates yo-yo weight loss, and rapidly rising rates of bariatric surgery.

A 2006 study in Archives of Surgery charts the increase in “stomach stapling” procedures—10,000 in 1996 to about 100,000 in 2002. Yet the evidence suggests that being severely overweight is one of our most intractable problems, and that, in the end, the best solution is to avoid it in the first place. What we should be talking about is increasing physical activity and improving nutrition.

In the end, physical activity is its own reward. You don’t have to do it to lose weight or reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease or diabetes. It’s not just so you can fit in that outfit for your class reunion or keep your cholesterol number down. Do it because being active feels great, because it absolutely energizes you, because it gives you a feeling of accomplishment and being alive.

From a broader perspective, we also

have to create more walkable communities— where physical activity is convenient and integrated into daily life. I applaud the work of the Initiative Foundation for publishing this magazine and taking action to promote this concept in central Minnesota.

I’ve spent a lot of time traveling the United States and one thing has become clear—you can have the best intentions in the world to exercise, but if your community makes it costly, dangerous, or inconvenient to do so, it’s not going to happen.

At the same time, you may not be planning to be active, but if your community makes it safe, convenient, cheap, and appealing, it’s likely to happen without you even realizing it. Your activity may come from a walk to the corner store instead of around a track, but with the right kind of community, it can happen.

So please read and enjoy IQ, but most of all, take a walk. React at IQMAG.ORG Mark Fenton is host of America Walks on PBS, the nationally recognized author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness, walking champion, and community health consultant.

He will keynote the Initiative Foundation’s Minnesota Oomph Conference on March 6th.

A Central Minnesota partnership that educates and encourages families to get active, eat well and make healthy choices for their best quality of life.

Your family can: • reverse negative health trends - especially obesity and related diseases • increase energy and improve self-esteem • have fewer physical ailments • spend more quality family time together For more information or to join BLEND, visit our web site or call Jodi at (320) 251-2700, ext. 59206.

Feel alive, enjoy life! www.blendcentralmn.org