~ New initiative follows successful Governor’s Fit Schools and Governor’s Fit Cities programs ~

Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced a new state initiative that will help employers encourage their workers to get fit and lead healthier lives.

The Governor’s “Fit Workplaces” initiative is being funded by a grant from the National Governors Association (NGA). Minnesota was one of 13 states to receive a Healthy States grant from the NGA.

Fit Workplaces builds on the Governor’s Fit Schools and Governor’s Fit Cities programs, following the Governor’s declaration of 2005 as the “The Year of Fitness” in Minnesota.

The Governor also announced a plan to combine and enhance efforts that combat childhood obesity with a goal of reducing childhood obesity in Minnesota 50% by 2012.

“Minnesota is the healthiest state in the nation,” Governor Pawlenty said. “But we need to do more to encourage healthier lifestyles, both for adults and children. Improving health in the workplace is important because at least 50 percent of an organization’s health care costs are driven by lifestyle-related behaviors of employees. And by tackling childhood obesity, we hope to head off health problems that can become increasing problematic with age.”

Healthy Minnesota “Fit Workplaces” Initiative

Governor Pawlenty’s Healthy Minnesota “Fit Workplaces” Initiative includes the following:

• Creation of a Workplace Wellness Toolkit and Web site for employers to use to implement workplace wellness programs;
• Grants to public and private sector workplaces to test use of the Toolkit; and
• A Governor’s Healthy Minnesota Summit in summer 2007 to promote the initiative statewide.

“Healthy employees are more productive, with fewer sick days, fewer accidents, higher morale and lower job turnover,” Governor Pawlenty said. “If Minnesota employers convinced ten percent of their employees to start a regular walking program, the state would save $109 million in heart disease-related expenditures annually. It’s good for employees and it’s good for our fiscal health, too.”

Eight employers have signed up to test the Toolkit: Winona County, Steele County, Duluth Public Schools, DuraSupreme Cabinetry, UCare, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Health.

These eight employers will be providing feedback on the Toolkit’s usability. After feedback is incorporated, it will be made available statewide at a Governor’s Healthy Minnesota Summit this summer. The summit will encourage employers to invest in the health of their employees, either through initiating a workplace health promotion program or by enhancing a program that already exists.

The Healthy Minnesota Fit Workplaces Initiative is being coordinated by a team representing the Governor’s Health Cabinet, the Department of Employee Relations, contracted health insurers, employers from urban and rural Minnesota, academia, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to disease prevention.

Combating Childhood Obesity

Governor Pawlenty today announced he has directed the Minnesota Department of Health to pull together the wide variety of initiatives focused on childhood obesity to institute a common plan and direction. He also set a goal of reducing childhood obesity in Minnesota 50% by 2012.

Existing initiatives that will be brought together include the Minnesota Task Force on Childhood Obesity, the Mayo Clinic’s Annual Action on Obesity Summit, Get Fit Twin Cities, and Blue Cross – Blue Shield’s Fittest State in the Nation Initiative.

The strategy to combat childhood obesity also involves compiling existing data to track obesity trends and to identify gaps and best practices for Minnesotans to fight the obesity epidemic. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the steady increase in childhood obesity results from a combination of complex environmental, social, economic and behavioral factors.

Medtronic TC Kids Marathon

Governor Pawlenty also joined officials from the Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic to announce the TC Kids Marathon, an expanded community-wide effort to inspire healthy lifestyles among children.

Designed for children in grades K-6, the running program is accessed by visiting www.mtcmarathon.org and clicking on Medtronic TC Kids Marathon. The new site provides tools and resources for teachers, coaches and parents to create 12-week, eight-week or four-week training programs.

The program aims to instill dedication to healthy lifestyles among children at an early age, helping prevent childhood obesity and increasing the probability they will continue healthy lifestyles later in life.

Medtronic TC Kids Marathon emphasizes activity, teamwork and goal setting to improve physical fitness. The program combines short-distance running and other physical activities to help make fitness fun and achievable. Teachers and parents can track kids’ progress online, research fun running games and access seasonal running tips for varied levels of experience.