Tarboro is one of three municipalities awarded the Fit Community designation today to recognize their success in promoting healthier lifestyles among their residents.

The Town of Tarboro, Town of Black Mountain and City of Jacksonville were recognized for supporting healthy eating, physical activity and tobacco-free living through policy and community infrastructure.

The Fit Community designations were made by Fit Together, the statewide initiative of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) to combat obesity and excessive weight. Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, chairwoman of the HWTF, and Bob Greczyn, president and CEO of BCBSNC, presented the third annual awards.

Tarboro Mayor Donald Morris, Councilmen Jim Alford, Al Hull, Buck Price and David Smoot, Town Manager Sam Noble and Town Planner Troy Lewis were on hand.

“This is an honor that Tarboro was selected,” Morris said. “We consciously look at ways to promote good health and wellness through exercise and proper diet.”

Edgecombe County Public Schools has tobacco free facilities as does Heritage Hospital.

Tarboro was recognized for its emphasis on recreation. The 2008-09 budget shows the town spending $1.3 million on recreation, about 11 percent of the general fund.

In addition to excellent facilities, the town is working with the state Department of Transportation on a bicycle trail plan. One trail of about seven miles from the Town Common to Indian Lake Spots Complex has been completed and more are planned totaling about 50 miles.

The town also has marked paddle trails in the Tar River.

Police officers and firefighters have mandatory physical fitness tests, but town employees are also eligible to participate in a wellness program.

There is exercise equipment at the Braswell Center and a weight room at Fire Station No. 1.

“By promoting healthy living, these communities are making a real difference,” Perdue said. “These Fit Communities are improving the well-being of their residents and helping lead the way to a healthier North Carolina.”

All North Carolina municipalities and counties were eligible for the Fit Community designation. Applications were judged based upon objective criteria collected from peer-reviewed studies and national programs. The selection process was managed by Chapel Hill’s Active Living by Design, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Communities chosen for the Fit Community designations receive highway signs to place on their roadways; plaques; recognition on the Fit Community Web site, www.FitCommunityNC.org; and use of the Fit Community logo.

Obesity is a major threat to children and adults across the United States, especially in North Carolina. According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 61 percent of North Carolina adults are overweight or obese, and 25 percent reported no exercise in the prior 30 days. Fit Together’s mission is to support programs and initiatives that address this growing problem.