Beach Cities Finalist in Healthful Living Contest

Last week, the Beach Cities Health District entered into a nationwide competition that could improve the way residents in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach lead their lives. On Tuesday, the beach cities were declared one of four finalists in the Vitality City contest. The winner will be announced in July.

The Vitality City project, spearheaded by health care companies Blue Zones and Healthways, promotes physical exercise, healthful eating and a holistic way of living.

In June, representatives from Healthways and Blue Zones will visit each of the four finalist cities. Lisa Santora, chief medical officer at the health district, said they will be looking at three main factors: the readiness to change, motivation to engage in healthy practices and the capacity to get sponsorship to guide this change. If the beach cities win, a team of experts will brainstorm with community leaders, the city councils, the three school districts and the mayor's offices to come up with a comprehensive plan for the area.

"Scientists and researchers from the two companies will work with the community, map out the cities' assets, find out the gaps that need to be filled, and help us achieve optimal health," Santora said. 

She said the program was particularly important for the beach cities where 2 of every 3 adults and 1 of every 2 children are obese.

"Only half the population meets the national recommendations for physical activity or eats a balanced diet," Santora said. Though the quality of life in the beach cities is good, she said, many people suffer from stress and heart disease, which is the No. 1 cause of death in the area.

"There are a large number of smokers," she added. "Hermosa and Redondo are among the top 10 cities in L.A. County in terms of prevalence of smokers."

If the beach cities are together chosen as a Vitality City, experts will study the communities for about six months and then suggest changes.

"These could include making sure children don't snack in hallways in schools, that food items containing high fructose or corn syrup levels are not sold in schools, that sidewalks are walkable and that restaurants have healthy food items on their menu," Santora said. 

In addition to encouraging residents to lead a healthful life, the Vitality City program would help the health district gather accurate data specific to the three cities.

"Gallup will collaborate with us to do a well-being survey, which will help us collect data and find out the factors that contribute to the well-being of the community," Santora said.

Participants in the beach cities' effort to be selected for the program include schools, corporate groups, the city's Parks and Recreation Committee and groups working independently within the community. The South Bay Bicycle Coalition is a strong supporter of the Vitality City competition. Todd Dipaola, who heads the group, said small changes envisioned by Vitality City can bring about big changes in the quality of life. "Investments like this are for a better future... This is a great opportunity for scientific research that can help us find simple things to make life better," he said. 

The small Minnesota town of Albert Lea was the pilot Vitality City. Blue Zones worked with local government and community leaders for more than a year to design and implement large- and small-scale environmental and policy changes to help Albert Lea residents adopt and maintain healthful lifestyles.

According to the health district's newsletter, the modifications resulted in an average weight loss of two pounds for every Albert Lea resident. The residents' average life expectancy increased 3.1 years, and key employers saw a 20 percent reduction in absenteeism.