Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield has announced that 84 Iowa communities have submitted a statement of interest to become one of 10 demonstration sites for the Blue Zones Project, part of the Iowa Healthiest State initiative launched in August. The communities selected will receive assistance from national experts to develop and implement a blueprint for making changes that lead people to healthier behavior. The project is based upon findings from an eight-year worldwide longevity study to identify common elements of the world’s longest-lived cultures. The communities will have until Jan. 4 to submit formal applications, with the first group of communities to be chosen in May 2012. To view the list of communities, click here.