After several reports indicated that North Carolina is a "couch potato" state, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was motivated to donate $1 million for a statewide outreach effort to help citizens get active. The health plan recently launched its "Be Active North Carolina" campaign that targets children and adults.
Campaign inspiration came from industry reports that identified North Carolina as a fairly lazy state:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked North Carolina 38th in the country for physical activity.
- North Carolina Prevention Partners gave the state a D+ in physical activity on its 1998 health behaviors report card.
- Other findings show that the state's youth are two to three times more likely to be obese than other youth across the nation, and that one out of every three adults are overweight.
To motivate North Carolinians to be more fitness-focused, the campaign is using grassroots strategies that target churches, businesses, schools and community agencies which are currently being planned. The campaign got under way with a statewide summit last month that brought together health professionals and community leaders to identify key physical activity opportunities. (BCBSNC, Fred Hartman, 919/765-4933)