Tarrant County took a big step toward healthier living on Tuesday when it was approved as a Blue Zones Project workplace.
Blue Zones Project is a national program dedicated to improving people’s health. It is sponsored in North Texas by Texas Health Resources and other organizations.
Hundreds of Tarrant County employees participate in the program by pledging to eat better and exercise more.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, who helped launch Blue Zones, was on hand at the Tarrant County Commissioners’ meeting to help celebrate the accomplishment.
Tarrant County is the largest in the country to receive such recognition.
“It’s all about making healthy choices easier,” said Blue Zones Vice President Matt Dufrene. “It’s really exciting to look back and see the progress we’ve made.”
Blue Zones started in Fort Worth five years ago and 60,000 workers at 116 different locations have participated.
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“Definitely it’s made me think about what I eat and how it makes me feel and making better choices in the mornings for lunch, snacking,” said Veronica Ybarra, an administrative assistant at the Tarrant County Health Department. “You’re just more mindful of those things.”
The city of Fort Worth is working to become nationally certified as a Blue Zone community by the end of the year if it meets certain goals.
