Iowa 5th for residents age 65, older; more

Census: Iowa fifth for residents age 65, older

DES MOINES (AP) ? An analysis of new census data shows Iowa is fifth in the nation for residents 65 or older.

The Des Moines Register reports nearly 15 percent of Iowa?s 3 million residents are 65 or older. The oldest state is Florida, with 17.3 percent of its residents 65 or older, followed by West Virginia, Maine and Pennsylvania.

The analysis of the data released Wednesday says Iowa is among the top three states in percentage of residents 85 and older.

Families, employers, health care and other institutions have been faced with adjustments as the baby boomers born after the end of World War II age.

The Census Bureau says the 65-and-older segment grew more than 15 percent over the past decade and now makes up 13 percent of the nation?s population.

UIHC says new cancer clinic will help patients

IOWA CITY (AP) ? University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics says a new cancer clinic that opens next week will provide more space for patients and researchers.

The $12 million clinic will occupy two floors at the Pomerantz Family Pavilion and house cancer care teams that focus on several types such as breast and prostate.

Hospital officials say the new clinic will provide for more exam rooms and patient suites. They say the clinic will have patient-friendly features such as loveseats in the waiting areas, open walls that allow chemotherapy patients to talk to each other and headsets to let patients watch television.

The clinic will also bring together cancer center researchers who work on clinical trials, allowing them to better coordinate their activities.

Sign up opens Dec. 20 for 100 Day Wellness Challenge

AMES ? Live Healthy Iowa?s 100 Day Wellness Challenge will open registration for its 11th year Dec. 20.

Kicking off the challenge Jan. 23, Live Healthy Iowa will have a new website offering participants in the challenge more innovative and user-friendly features, including updated personal tracking and goal-setting options and expanded nutrition resources.

The 100 Day Wellness Challenge is a simple and affordable challenge, encouraging Iowans to make healthy choices. Over the course of 100 days, teams of two to 10 people take part in friendly competition by tracking their activity minutes and/or weight loss through the website.

Last year, the challenge had 27,252 participants on 4,335 teams in each of Iowa?s 99 counties. Participants reported losing 113,207 pounds and logging more than 73 million minutes of activity.

In the recently announced Healthiest State in the Nation Initiative, Gov. Terry Branstad shared his plan to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation within five years. While Iowa scores well in many areas, there is a significant opportunity for improvement in healthy behavior and work environment.

Learn more about the 100 Day Wellness Challenge and Live Healthy Iowa at www.livehealthyiowa.org.

Live Healthy Iowa, formerly Lighten Up Iowa, was created in 2001 by the Iowa Sports Foundation as a strategic health initiative to address the state?s growing obesity problem.