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WalkingWorkssm for BCBSVT and TVHP Members Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont and The Vermont Health Plan offer a program geared to encourage members to engage in more physical activity. WalkingWorks, which the Plan offers in conjunction with employers and health care providers, gives incentives to employees who make commitments to walking for exercise. Over 50 percent of Vermonters are overweight or obese. The percentage of obese adults in Vermont has increased 71% since 1990. Not surprisingly, the Vermont Department of Health listed obesity as one of the state's biggest health problems. "Walking is great exercise that can help most people get in better shape," Megan Peek, BCBSVT health education and outreach coordinator, said. "You can start a walking program at a slow, easy pace and then accelerate as you become more fit," she explained. Peek noted that the WalkingWorks program gives participants the tools they need to start their walking programs at the level appropriate for their body types and experiences and to change the program as needed when they get ready for new challenges. "The WalkingWorks program provides certain materials, such as walking logs and posters for the workplace, free of charge," she explains. "Employers foot the bill for other discounted WalkingWorks components, such as pedometers, which measure the distance a walker covers, and tee shirts used as incentives for successful walkers. We're hoping that health care providers will take advantage of the program's materials to encourage patients to exercise," she added. Peek notes that TVHP and BCBSVT have initiated other programs that encourage Vermonters to walk for exercise. "We have created walking maps for several major Vermont cities in past years," she said. "Each of the maps gives up to 12 walks within a particular city's limits, labeled with mileage and points of historical or cultural interest. We contracted with a Vermont geographer to produce maps that would make walking fun and informative," she related. |
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