Whoever said a little friendly competition can’t be healthy? During the 2016 Virginia General Assembly session a group of eight Virginia government leaders will participate in the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Healthy Generations Challenge. Each participant will have their walking progress tracked from Jan. 18 through March 12, 55 days of the 60-day session. The Anthem Healthy Generations Challenge is meant to promote awareness around the causes of childhood obesity and how we can all work (and walk) together to help Virginia’s kids live healthier and happier lives.

The 2016 Anthem Healthy Generations Challenge participants are:

  • The Honorable M. Kirkland Cox
  • The Honorable Janet D. Howell
  • The Honorable William J. Howell
  • The Honorable S. Chris Jones
  • Mrs. Dorothy McAuliffe, First Lady of Virginia
  • The Honorable Thomas K. Norment, Jr.
  • The Honorable Ralph S. Northam, M.D.
  • The Honorable Richard L. Saslaw

The three top participants who take the most steps will be awarded an Anthem community relations donation in the amount of $7,000, $5,000 or $3,000 depending on their place of finish, to be donated to a Virginia school of their choice. The donation will be used to increase physical activity and/or encourage healthy eating.

According to the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, nearly 30 percent of Virginia youth are overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems including diabetes as a result of childhood obesity.

“The Healthy Generations Challenge is a great way to bring exposure to an epidemic we all need to help curb—childhood obesity and the other health conditions it can impact,” said C. Burke King, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “We are proud to have such a distinguished group of leaders who are in a unique position to not only help promote public policies that combat childhood obesity, but to serve as a great example for the next generation of Virginians.”

Periodic contest updates will be sent throughout the 2016 Virginia General Assembly session through the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia press room and Anthem’s twitter handle, @anthempr_va.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia

Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its affiliated HMO HealthKeepers, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinIn, or visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.