The successes of the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project entered the national spotlight again Monday with a story in USA Today highlighting the results of the project.

Inside the newspaper’s Life section on page 9D, the article revealed a handful of statistics that came out of the project — including how many pounds the average participant lost, the percentage of restaurants that updated menus with healthy options, the number of employers who signed up to promote healthy workplaces, how many people signed up for walking groups and how many children are participating in the “walking school bus” initiative.

“It worked,” Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder and co-director of the project, said in the article. “It worked because we did not focus on short-term diet and exercise programs. We focused on changing their environments and then optimizing social networks.”

Many involved with the project said their lives were changed for the better, according to the story. And many plan to continue with the initiatives they’ve incorporated into their lives.

Some of the local changes included the installation of more community gardens and sidewalks to encourage physical activity. Grocery stores also added tags to label longevity foods for customers.

The story briefly mentioned the Bob and Sue Furland family, who also have been featured on “Good Morning America,” and some of the changes they’ve made to their lives because of the project. It stated the Furlands got rid of their teenage boys’ televisions and planted gardens. In turn, the family was inspired to landscape its backyard.

The landscaping project, Bob Furland said, brought the family together. He lost about 20 pounds throughout the course of the Vitality Project.

“There is nothing that Albert Lea has implemented or accomplished that couldn’t be replicated in every hometown across America,” said Cathy Ventura-Merkel, senior vice president of publications for AARP.

The project, which was funded by the United Health Foundation, was first announced in January. It was the first pilot project of its kind, set up with a goal of helping residents live longer, healthier lives.

The online version of the story also has links to the newspaper’s June story introducing the Vitality Project and to a story about former Minnesotan Walter Breuning, 113, the world’s oldest man.

In the article, Breuning said he has been healthy all of his life and credits diet for his longevity. He eats two meals a day, eats lots of fruit, drinks plenty of water and drinks a little coffee. He has also been a hard worker almost all of his life, working until he was 99.

To view the Vitality Project story, go to www.usatoday.com and type “Albert Lea” into the main search box at the top of the page. The story is headlined, “Vitality Project’s long-term changes make Minn. town healthier.”

Buettner’s speech to the Minnesota Education Association in St. Paul was the featured talk at noon on “Midday” on Minnesota Public Radio. Buettner spoke about the Vitality Project in Albert Lea, his trips to Blue Zones around the world and the lessons for living longer found in his “Blue Zones” book.

His speech can be heard at the MPR Web site.