BOSTON, Nov. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nutrition, physical activity and the environment are major influences on an individual's health and wellness. To help raise the awareness of this important issue, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' (Blue Cross) corporate citizenship efforts will now focus on Healthy Living and support community-based work that helps to promote healthier lifestyle choices:

Healthy Eating – It is critical to maintain a balanced, nutritious diet including fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, whole grains, and dairy. We will support organizations that help promote healthy eating and education in the community.

Healthy, Active Lifestyles – It is important to promote regular physical activity, whether it be walking to and from work, playing a sport, or running a 5K. We will support organizations that foster opportunities for physical activity among Massachusetts residents.

Healthy Environments – Healthy homes, public spaces, community centers, workplaces and schools are important influencers of good health. We will support programs and organizations that create and maintain these positive places.

"A majority of Massachusetts residents are not eating the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day and many don't have access to healthy environments that foster physical activity," said Jeff Bellows, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at Blue Cross. "Healthy eating, active lifestyles and positive environments are interrelated. We believe that by supporting organizations in these areas we can influence behavior change that will lead to healthier, more productive residents and communities across our state."

The new corporate citizenship focus is one element of our promise to always put our members first and aims to support our members and the communities where they live and work. Healthy Living will come to life through our Civic Engagement, Community Investment and Sustainability programs. We are planning a series of events to launch the new strategy:

• November 14: The Boston Public Market will host Healthy Holidays cooking class for our members in their demonstration kitchen. Click here to register. We are the Health and Wellness partner for the market. This is the first in a series of events for our members.
• November 18: We are hosting a Healthy Living forum for community non-profits to learn more about and discuss our new strategy.
• January 6:  We will host a Twitter chat at 12 p.m. about Healthy Living. All Massachusetts-area non-profits are encouraged to participate. Follow us on Twitter.

Over the past decade, we have invested over $100 million across Massachusetts. In 2014 alone, we contributed $9.6 million to over 530 non-profit organizations, and our employees volunteered 30,000 service hours, for a value of $1.15 million. Through our sustainability efforts, we have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by over 15 percent. For more information, visit our Corporate Citizenship website, read the 2014 Corporate Citizenship Report, or watch a video which describes the new strategy.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are the trusted health plan for more than 31,500 Massachusetts employers and are committed to working with others in a spirit of shared responsibility to make quality health care affordable. Consistent with our corporate promise to always put our 2.8 million members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPN_zpBK8uI&index=12&list=PL8GPqA-eOv3XDZTKURXkB_dLMlhwa11TU 
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150224/177637LOGO

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts