Fort Worth gets the Blues: Citywide health effort begins

The citywide health initiative has begun.

The Blue Zones Project kicked off Saturday with a free event at the Will Rogers Memorial Center to “introduce people to ways they can live longer and better” by incorporating the project’s principles into their lives.

“It’s about finding touch points across the community to make healthier choices,” said Suzanne Duda, vice president of Blue Zones Project-Fort Worth.

The project is a multiyear effort to make it easier for people who live and work in Fort Worth to make healthier choices.

Thousands turned out for the event Saturday, which kept folks busy with fun activities, presentations and performances. Kids tested their sports abilities, folks got a free healthy cooking lesson and everyone left with free healthy snacks. Presentations, including one by Mayor Betsy Price, promoted ways to get involved through community groups, personal pledges and volunteering.

Duda called it a “well-being program.” Aside from getting involved with groups, folks may notice changes in schools, restaurants and grocery stores, courtesy of Blue Zones. The project is working with restaurants “to help diners make healthier choices” and with grocery stories to make impulse purchases healthier, she said.

“The most important thing,” Duda said, “is all about making the healthy choice an easy choice.”

Amanda Martin brought her daughter, Bailey, 5, because bringing her up healthy is “very important.”

“This will help support the things we’re teaching at home, like eating right and exercising,” Martin said.

The event ended “Blue Week” in Fort Worth, during which the city raised awareness about the beginning of the four-year initiative.

Fort Worth, the largest city to partner with the Blue Zones Project, will also implement changes in work sites and in community policy.

This story was originally published February 21, 2015 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Fort Worth gets the Blues: Citywide health effort begins."