Extension Communications
Extension 4-H Youth Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3630
(515) 294-9915
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Extension Communications |
10/19/04
Contacts:
Kim Nanke, Coordinator of Lighten Up Iowa, (515) 707-1832, kim@iowagames.org
Tim Lane, Iowa Department of Public Health, (515) 281-7833, tlane@idph.state.ia.us
Ruth Litchfield, ISU Extension Food Science and Human Nutrition, (515) 294-9484,
litch@iastate.edu
Diane Nelson, ISU Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515)
294-3178, dinelson@iastate.edu
AMES, Iowa – Iowans who are looking for an extra incentive to stick with their 2005 New Year’s resolutions should look no further than the third year of Lighten Up Iowa, which is set to kick off Jan. 19.
A five-month competition that encourages Iowans to develop healthy activity and eating habits, Lighten Up Iowa is a team competition that recognizes achievement in two areas: weight loss due to healthy, appropriate diet and accumulated activity in the form of miles. Iowans are encouraged to form teams (two to ten people) and then use the competition as motivation.
Nearly 20,000 people have participated in Lighten Up Iowa in 2003 and 2004. Healthy eating and increased physical activity resulted in achieving more than 4.9 million miles of activity and losing 33 tons of weight.
New items for 2005 include a later start date, employee/community wellness program option, captains’ resources, and “Strive for Five” campaign, which will focus on eating five fruits and vegetables a day and engaging in physical activity five days per week.
Lighten Up Iowa is co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Games and Iowa State University Extension.
Entry forms will be available in early November at http://www.lightenupiowa.org.
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