Hundreds of Wells County residents are eating healthier and exercising more often because of Operation Wellness, an ambitious fitness program established one year ago with applied expertise from Ball State University.

Carol Friesen, project coordinator and associate professor of family and consumer sciences at Ball State, has measured reduced blood pressure and body weight and increased cardiovascular fitness among Operation Wellness participants.

"There's a greater awareness about health now than there was a year ago when the program started," Friesen said. "People in Wells County are more willing to think about how their actions impact the quality of their lives."

Operation Wellness used a number of different strategies to increase physical activity, improve nutrition and enhance the health of Wells County residents of all ages.

"Dump Your Plump" is a team weight loss competition among co-workers that was held three times in the past year. In the spring competition, 84 participants shed a combined 435 pounds.

At school, hundreds of children are jumping rope, taking tae kwon do and exercising at recess – something they didn't do a year ago, Friesen said. Several children reached combined distances of 50, 75 and 100 miles while walking during recess.

After-hours exercise classes in schools attracted 1,399 children and 500 adults in the spring, more than doubling the number of participants in classes last fall.

The continued growth in participation excites Tammy Schaffer, co-chair of the Operation Wellness Advisory Board.

"One of our main objectives has been to improve health awareness," Shaffer said. "It's not only about exercise, but also nutrition. People are thinking about the snacks they eat, drinking milk and serving better foods in our schools."

Operation Wellness also sponsored a 5K community walk, provided work site wellness instruction and helped the Southern Wells School District's health program earn statewide recognition as a Coordinated School Health district.

Using its applied research expertise in cities and towns across Indiana is one way Ball State works to build better communities.

Last year, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a national philanthropy dedicated to improving the health and health care of all Americans, awarded Ball State a $450,000 Local Initiative Funding Partners matching grant over four years to help Wells County residents increase physical activity, improve eating habits and promote healthy lifestyles.

Locally, the Caylor-Nickel Foundation and other Wells County funding partners exceeded the grant's matching-funds requirement and donated $550,000. 

Building Better Communities is an initiative designed to spur economic development and quality of life advancement in Indiana by applying Ball State's strengths in applied research and hands-on learning to projects across the state. With financial support from the Indiana Legislature and Lilly Endowment's Business Fellows Program, Building Better Communities works to match the university's expertise and resources to the varied needs of Indiana communities. 

(Note to Editors: For more information, contact Friesen at (765) 285-5925 or cfriesen@bsu.edu.)