Live Healthy Iowa

Live Healthy Iowa, formerly Lighten Up Iowa, is a team-based weight-loss competition to combat obesity in Iowa. The Live Healthy Iowa 100 Day Wellness Challenge engages Iowans in healthy behaviors through team-based physical activity, nutrition, and weight loss programming. Friends, families, and coworkers form teams to track weight loss and/or minutes of activity. Participants pay a $20 fee and receive a training t-shirt, 1-year subscription to a lifestyle magazine, a coupon book, and an access card that provides opportunities for wellness discounts. Participants use a personal online tracking page to record their progress, and receive weekly motivational emails with physical activity, nutrition, and recipe tips. Teams consist of 2-10 adults to motivate and support each other as they work toward fitness and weight loss goals. Teams may register individually, or as a part of a larger worksite or organization. Live Healthy Iowa also offers a free kids program to encourage physical activity and nutrition through the school system.

The goal of Live Healthy Iowa is to encourage physical activity and weight loss through team-based competition.

The initial pilot program in Central Iowa in 2001, involved 1,400 participants and resulted in a weight loss of 5,992 pounds. Since the state-wide expansion in 2002, the program has involved 150,122 individuals resulting in 618,139 pounds lost and more than 26 million miles of activity recorded. Due to the success of Live Healthy Iowa, the program is now offered nation-wide as Live Healthy America.