Midvale City Attorney Craig Hall is Crowned Healthiest City Leader in the SL Valley

MURRAY – The winner of the 2012 Intermountain Heart Institute My Heart Challenge contest is Midvale City Attorney Craig Hall.

Hall edged out 10 other city leaders from communities throughout the Salt Lake Valley to be crowned the first winner of the inaugural 2012 My Heart Challenge contest, sponsored by the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute.

The Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute My Heart Challenge is designed to improve their health and to help them – and residents of their communities – prevent heart disease by encouraging everyone to make positive lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise.

Salt Lake City Councilman Carlton Christensen was the winner of the Most Improved category.  Both he and Hall received $1,000 prize to be used toward improving the health and wellness of residents in their cities.

The participants were:

Bill Applegarth, Riverton Mayor – lost 11 pounds

Carlton Christensen, Salt Lake City City Councilman – lost 43 pounds

Peter Corroon, Salt Lake County Mayor – lost 25 pounds

Kelvyn Cullimore, Jr., Cottonwood Heights Mayor – lost 7 pounds

Craig Hall, Midvale City Attorney – lost 12 pounds

Scott Osborne, South Jordan Mayor – lost 9 pounds

Daniel Snarr, Murray Mayor – lost 12 pounds

Ben Southworth, West Jordan City Council, West Jordan – lost 15 pounds

Russ Wall, Taylorsville Mayor – lost 13 pounds

Brett Wood, Herriman City Manager – lost 18 pounds

Cherie Wood, Mayor of South Salt Lake – lost 14 pounds

“All of the participants are winners,” said David Grauer, administrator of Intermountain Medical Center. “All have experienced positive health benefits, have a better understanding of what it takes to live a more healthy lifestyle and have seen improvements in their daily lives.”

For the past 100 days, the seven mayors, two city council members, one city attorney and one city manager have been walking, biking, working out, eating fruits and vegetables and tracking their progress as they have competed in the 2012 Intermountain Heart Institute My Heart Challenge contest to determine which Salt Lake Valley city has the healthiest leader.

“This has been a life-altering experience for me,” said Hall. “It’s made an incredible experience for me and has helped me change my lifestyle and the choices that I now make. It has been very rewarding, and the good news is that Midvale is going to start an employee fitness and wellness program in September.

Collectively, the group of leaders achieved the following:

• Lost 179 pounds

• Total cholesterol dropped by 14 points

• Triglyercides dropped by 40 points

• Blood pressure went down by 13 points systolic and 7 points diastolic

• Body fat dropped by 3 percent

•  Waist circumference went down by 2.6 inches.

“These are significant improvements for a time period of roughly three months,” said Don Lappe, MD, Chief of Cardiology at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and part of the team that developed the Challenge. “These numbers represent a meaningful reduction in the risk of heart disease. We are proud of the progress they have made and hope they can serve as a role model to other individuals in our community.”

The participants were provided with coaching and counseling by a specialized dietitian, an exercise specialist and a series of tests at the beginning and end of the challenge.

Hall earned the most overall points, which included points for the amount of weekly exercise, daily dietary habits, attendance at the My Heart Challenge 5K, evaluations, pre and post testing and tracking and overall reporting. 

Christensen earned the most improved award, which measured the greatest percentage change from the beginning to end of the contest.  These categories included weight, waist circumference, body fat percentage, results from the cardio treadmill test and overall lifestyle changes.

As one of the leading heart programs in the country, the mission of the Intermountain Medical Center includes a commitment to prevention and wellness. For more information about the Intermountain Heart Institute, go to www.intermountainheartinstitute.org. Also, a summary of the city leaders’ experiences can be found at www.myhearthcallenge.com.

The intent is to make the My Heart Challenge an annual event to engage the community and raise awareness about the importance of healthy lifestyles.