Statement of Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling

 

Good morning and thank you all very much for coming.  

 

We are here today to announce a new statewide health initiative called The Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge: Your Heart Is in Your Hands.

 

I am pleased today to be joined by representatives of various organizations, who will be partnering with us in this effort, including the:

 

American Heart Association

American Diabetes Association

American Lung Association

AstraZeneca

Virginia YMCA

Bon Secours Health System

School Nutritionists Association

Alliance For Healthier Virginians

VCU Medical Center

 

I have a brief statement to make and we will then hear from Mr. Jim Morris, who has a wonderful story to tell about his own efforts to eat healthier, exercise more and loose weight so he can live better and longer.  After that I’ll be glad to answer your questions.

 

As you all know, throughout my service in state government one of my major areas of emphasis has been health care.

 

As a member of the Senate of Virginia I served on the Committee for Education and Health and I had the privilege of chairing the Senate’s Subcommittee on Health Care, as well as the General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Health Care.

 

In fact, one of my most significant legislative accomplishments was sponsoring legislation in 1997 and 1998 to create a children’s health insurance program in Virginia, a program that is providing basic health care services to thousands of Virginia children who did not have access to such services just a few short years ago.

And during my term as Lieutenant Governor I have continued my emphasis on health care. 

 

For example, I have sponsored numerous legislative proposals to address important health issues like the cost of health insurance, the availability of health care professionals in rural parts of Virginia and reform of our Certificate of Public Need laws.

 

Likewise, I have initiated a number of health initiatives, designed to focus attention on significant health issues.  You may remember some of them:

 

Our Steptember program was designed to focus attention on the fact that 60% of Virginians are either overweight or obese.  We encouraged Virginians to eat healthier, get more exercise and shape up.  As a part of that program I set a personal weight loss goal of 30 pounds, and actually lost 28 pounds, most of which I have been able to keep off over the past two years.

 

Our Ending Cervical Cancer In Our Lifetime program was designed to help women make the connection between cervical cancer and HPV virus.  By encouraging women to get annual cervical cancer screenings and consider other treatment options, such as the cervical cancer vaccine, we took a step toward eliminating cervical cancer in our lifetime.

 

And just last year I partnered with the Virginia Department of Health and the American Lung Association to sponsor the Helping Virginians Breath Easier Campaign, which focused attention on the problem of asthma and sought to help educate Virginians on the prevalence of asthma, as well as its signs, symptoms and treatment.

 

Today, I’m announcing another major health initiative – The Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge: Your Heart Is in Your Hands.  The primary purpose of this initiative is to further our focus on the fact that 60% of the adults in Virginia are either overweight or obese, most living sedentary lifestyles that put them at risk for heart and cardiovascular disease.

Heart and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in America.  One in three people have cardiovascular disease, and in Virginia nearly 20,000 people die from heart related illness everyone year.  That is more than cancer, HIV/AIDS and accidents combined.

 

As I’ve already mentioned, 60% of Virginia’s adults are overweight or obese.  People considered overweight are 32% more likely to have heart disease.  That number jumps to 81% for those considered obese.

 

But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way.  Healthier living, increased exercise and a better diet can reduce the risk of heart related illness by as much as 82%. 

 

Today, I’m going to recommit myself to the effort and encourage thousands of Virginians to join me in eating healthier, getting more exercise, losing weight, shaping up and living happier, healthier and longer.

 

The Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge:  Your Heart Is In Your Hands is a program sponsored by the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association and modeled after a Delaware campaign that was designed to reduce the danger of heart disease through education on risk factors, increased physical fitness and improved nutrition.

 

The Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge is an incentive based exercise and nutrition program where Virginians can set personal physical activity and diet goals to promote healthier living and increase their own heart health. 

 

The risk of heart and cardiovascular disease can be significantly reduced through simple, attainable lifestyle changes.  By setting aside 30 minutes or more each day for walking, gardening, playing tennis or a host of other things, Virginians can take significant steps toward losing weight and lowering their risk of heart disease.

 

The Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge is a 12 week program where participating Virginians can receive points for completing simple, everyday physical activities.  Walking for 30 minutes is 4 points.  Raking leaves for 30 minutes is 4 points and so on.

 

There is also a nutritional challenge where you earn points for eating healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables which help lower cholesterol and caloric intake which reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.

At the end of the 12 week Challenge each individual who attains a specified number of points for the physical challenge, the nutritional challenge or both will receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal, depending on their results.  And after they finish the first 12 week Challenge they can set a new goal and start again.

 

Today, I invite and encourage every Virginia citizen who is concerned about their heart health to join us in this effort by visiting our web site at www.ltgovernorschallenge.us.  The web site provides each person with their own individual log in page to record their daily activities and points.  The website also gives a list of activities and foods with corresponding point values and ideas and opportunities for how you can become more fit.

 

I will also personally participate in the Challenge.  I have chosen to seek the Gold medal, and have set a personal goal of losing an additional 20 pounds as a result of this 12 week Challenge.

 

Over the weeks to come we will be publicizing this program in a number of ways:

 

Working with our partners, we will be distributing brochures, postcard and information across the Commonwealth to help educate Virginians on the importance of a healthy heart.

 

I will be the special guest and award presenter at the American Heart Associations Heart Walk in Richmond on October 25th. Also this weekend, the American Lung Association is holding their annual Asthma Walk here in Richmond.

 

My wife, Jean Ann, will be visiting schools to discuss the importance of cardiovascular health and preventing childhood obesity.  She will also be visiting with various women’s groups to encourage them to participate in the Challenge, and Jean Ann is also an Ambassador for the Wear Red for Women campaign in Virginia.

 

Various media outlets in Virginia will be running PSA’s to promote the the Lieutenant Governor’s Challenge campaign. In addition, as the Honorary State Chair of the American Diabetes Association Step-Out program, I will be doing PSA’s throughout the year promoting Diabetes awareness and prevention. 

The fall I will sponsor a Heart Health Summit, which will bring together elected officials, appropriate federal, state and local agencies and various private and public sector stakeholders to discuss heart and cardiovascular health issues.

 

Let me close by once again encouraging every Virginia citizen who is concerned about their heart health to join us in this effort by visiting our web site at www.ltgovernorschallenge.us. 

 

Together, we will begin the process of eating healthier, getting more exercise, losing weight, shaping up and living happier, healthier and longer.