Winners Of The 2009 Blue & You Fitness Challenge Receive Awards For Top Performance In Contest

June 30, 2009

LITTLE ROCK— Groups from 41 states have made an investment in their fitness and today was "payday" for participants as 14 groups took home top awards as winners of the 2009 Blue & You Fitness Challenge during ceremonies held at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock.

This is the sixth year for the Blue & You Fitness Challenge (formerly the Arkansas Fitness Challenge), an exercise contest held annually March 1 through May 31. In addition to the Challenge hosts – Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), representatives from other companies, organizations and state agencies statewide — and outside of Arkansas — joined in the competition and were recognized at the awards ceremonies (a complete list of companies/groups follows).

Representatives from companies and groups throughout Arkansas and the nation rallied in February to "Invest in Fitness" at the kickoff of the 2009 contest, which is designed to promote wellness in the community and at the worksite. Contest participants then made their "deposits" toward fitness in increments of 30, 60 or 92 virtual checkpoints across America and today "cashed in" on improved fitness levels.

"Exercise requires only a small investment of time and movement, and promises a great rate of return on your health," said Richard Cooper, vice president of Human Resources for Arkansas Blue Cross and team champion for the Challenge. "Thousands of Americans made a move toward better health by participating in the Challenge this year. A total of 167 groups representing large and small companies, banks, schools and universities, physician offices, churches, hospitals and state agencies made a commitment to spend some time exercising and reap the rewards of better fitness. "The 11,791 individuals participating in those groups logged 525,363 checkpoints (up from 442,931 checkpoints in 2008) during the contest! To log a checkpoint, participants exercised at least 30 minutes, which translates – at a minimum – to 262,681.5 hours of exercise during the Challenge (up from 221,465.5 hours of exercise in 2008! That's incredible!"

Four measures determined the winners of the Challenge: 1 – Goal Participation (percentage of participants meeting/exceeding 30 checkpoints; 35 points); 2 – Exercise Frequency (average number of checkpoints per participant; 35 points); 3 – Overall Participation (percent of eligible population participating; 20 points); and 4 – Persistency Rate (lowest rate of nonstarters; 10 points). The highest scoring group on a single item earned the points assigned to that measure and was the "winner" of that measure. The group earning the most cumulative points was declared the overall winner (in each group size category).

Blair Dean, chairman of the Governor's Council on Fitness, announced the 2009 Challenge winners:

Winners of the 2009 Blue & You Fitness Challenge are:

Group Category 1 (2-5 participants)

Rocky Point Riders — Conway, Arkansas

Group Category 2 (6-9 participants)

Nestle — Jonesboro, Arkansas

Group Category 3 (10-12 participants)

The Ten Wonders — Clinton, Arkansas

Group Category 4 (13-14 participants)

Arkansas Diamonds — Hot Springs Village, Arkansas

Group Category 5 (15-19 participants)

Arkansas State Plant Board — Little Rock, Arkansas

Group Category 6 (20-29 participants)

Brown-Hiller-Clark & Associates — Fort Smith, Arkansas

Group Category 7 (30-39 participants)

Northrop Grumman CEO — St. Charles, Missouri

Group Category 8 (40-49 participants)

Lamar Elementary School — Lamar, Arkansas

Group Category 9 (50-75 participants)

Prince William County Park Authority — Manassas, Virginia

Group Category 10 (76-149 participants)

Transportation Security Administration — Little Rock, Arkansas

Group Category 11 (150-399 participants) — TIE

University of Arkansas at Fort Smith — Fort Smith, Arkansas

Health Dialog — Boston, Massachusetts

Group Category 12 (400+ participants)

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Offline Group Category

Eastern Arkansas Area on Aging: Wynne Center

In addition to being recognized as top achievers, Blue & You Fitness Challenge participants reaped health and fitness rewards. "The first four years of the Challenge yielded great results for the participants involved," said John Selig, director of DHS. "This year was no exception and with the online survey offered through the contest Web site, we have even more comprehensive data. A total of 2,628 contest participants completed the evaluation – a statistically significant sample – and reported improved fitness levels. Almost 84 percent of respondents said they reached their personal goals through the Challenge."

The following percentage of survey respondents indicated their levels of exercise below:

Beginning of Contest End of Contest

16.7 percent exercised 0 days per week .5 percent exercised 0 days per week

23 percent exercised 1 day per week 2.5 percent exercised 1 day per week

32 percent exercised 3 days per week 30.9 percent exercised 3 days per week

18.6 percent exercised 5 days per week 36.1 percent exercised 5 days per week

9.6 percent exercised every day 29.9 percent exercised every day

Of the respondents, 21.1 percent said they reached their personal goal to "begin exercising;" 52.9 percent of respondents said they reached their goal to "increase exercising;" and 25.8 percent to "lose weight."

Respondents also indicated they had lowered their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (73 respondents), cholesterol levels (41 respondents), weight (327 respondents), and blood sugar (26 respondents) during the contest. Ninety-six percent said they will participate in future programs like the Blue & You Fitness Challenge.

"According to the 2008 BRFSS data, in the adult population in Arkansas 65.6 percent report being overweight or obese – 27.9 percent (almost three out of every 10 adults) say they never get any exercise," said Charles McGrew, ADH deputy director and chief operating officer. "The costs in treating diseases that result from these health risks, like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes — preventable diseases — is skyrocketing. We are looking at a serious public health epidemic and a potential perfect storm as overweight baby boomers age and become ill. Data show us that the directly attributed cost of inactivity in the United States is $24 -76 billion annually. The direct medical costs due to physical inactivity were more than $188 billion in 2006. (Reference for directly attributed cost of inactivity in the U.S.: "Cost Effectiveness of Community-Based Physical Activity Interventions" by Roux, et al.) And yet, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five or more days a week can reduce so many of these risks. Programs like the Blue & You Fitness Challenge make positive steps toward turning the trend. I know the Blue & You Fitness Challenge made me commit to keeping exercise a part of my daily life, and I encourage all Arkansans – and Americans — to do the same."

"We started and ended the 2009 contest in the Natural State again this year," Cooper said.

"But we traveled 'virtually' across the nation. We had participants from 41 states in 2009 with groups ranging in size from 2 to more than 1,200 participants. Participants told us that the Challenge inspired them to quit smoking, eat better, lose weight, get the family involved, even participate in activities they never dreamed they could. Our desire is to meet people right where they are and get them started down the road to better health, better self-esteem and a better life. You don't have to be a fitness fanatic; we just want to make some movement – literally and figuratively – toward better health."

The Blue & You Fitness Challenge was started in 2004 by Arkansas Blue Cross and the Arkansas Department of Health to encourage employees to work toward the public health recommendation of adult physical activity 30 minutes each day, most days of the week. The name of the contest changed for 2008, as did the route that participants virtually travel online each time they complete and log 30 minutes of exercise in a day. The Fitness Challenge had generated interest from Arkansas companies that have employees located in other parts of the country as well as piqued interest from companies and groups in other states, so the contest was expanded in 2008. The contest starts in Little Rock — where the Fitness Challenge all began — then virtually moves back and forth across America through all of the state capitals, many national parks and some interesting places in between (92 total checkpoints), then finishes in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

For more information about the Blue & You Fitness Challenge, log on to www.BlueAndYouFitnessChallenge-ark.com. To help companies prepare for their own competitions, an Employee Fitness Contest Kit, a complete guide to organizing an employee competition, is available free by calling: 1-800-686-2609 (Arkansas Blue Cross) or stopping by the nearest Arkansas Blue Cross office.

The Kit may be downloaded as PDFs at any one of the following Web sites:

• www.ArkansasBlueCross.com (click on "Employers" tab, then the Kit logo)

• www.HealthAdvantage-hmo.com (click on "Employers" tab, then the Kit logo)

• www.BlueAdvantageArkansas.com (click on "Employers" tab, then the Kit logo)

About Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Founded in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest health insurer in Arkansas. Arkansas Blue Cross and its affiliates have more than 2,700 employees. If combined, the 39 independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans collectively provide health-care coverage for 93 million — nearly one in three — Americans.

About Arkansas Department of Health
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is a centralized health department, operating local health units in each of the state's 75 counties. County governments provide facilities and support for the clinical, environmental and home health services offered by the agency. The mission of the Department is to promote public health policies and practices that assure a healthy quality of life for Arkansans. ADH works to protect, improve and promote the health of all Arkansans with the support of more than 5,000 dedicated employees and public and private partners. During each year, Department employees monitor and investigate public health diseases and threats, provide preventive and personal health services in clinical and in-home settings, provide education and enforce laws and regulations, support Hometown Health Improvement, promote healthy behaviors, respond to public health emergencies and educate and monitor industries that impact the public's health.

About Arkansas Department of Human Services
The Arkansas Department of Human Services provides a wide range of social services to more than a million Arkansas citizens each year through its programs and private providers. DHS is the largest department of the executive branch of state government. It has more than 7,000 employees and consists of ten divisions and four support offices. DHS maintains offices in each of the state's 75 counties where a person can apply for all the services DHS offers. Services are provided to people from all walks of life and all ages. Major programs, which fall under the Arkansas Department of Human Services, include the federal Food Stamp program and the Medicaid program, which accounts for the largest part of the department's $4 billion annual budget.