The Lake Nona Life Project reflects everything valued at Lake Nona: an educated and active community, innovative technologies in health and sustainability, and Medical City’s world-class medical researchers.
The Project is a long-term community health and wellness research study launched as an initiative of the Lake Nona Institute, with founding sponsorship from Johnson & Johnson, and support from Florida Hospital and GuideWell Innovation.
Modeled after the famous Framingham Heart Study, the Lake Nona Life Project is designed to study the connections between lifestyles and health among those who live and work in a given community.
Increasingly, we talk about the importance of lifestyle’s effect on personal health. But modern communities join together home and work life affecting diet, activity levels, sleep quality and many other health factors.
The Lake Nona Life Project will give us an unprecedented opportunity to gain new insights into the effects of lifestyle – including how we live and work in our communities – on health and well-being that can help future generations.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
The world gained much life-saving health knowledge through past community-based studies, for example:
- Cigarette smoking increases the risk of heart disease
- High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke
- Obesity is a risk factor for heart failure
- Excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, lack of sleep, physical inactivity, and others are all risk factors associated with increased mortality
- Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy may help protect against hypertension
It’s exciting to imagine what the Lake Nona Life Project will teach us. Its research aims – insomnia, allergies, stress disorders and long-term benefits of living actively, among others – will help people live healthier, longer lives and set a new standard for healthy communities.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Participation in the Lake Nona Life Project is easy. And once enrolled, you may learn more about your health. Also, you may impact the health of others for generations to come. Furthermore, all English-speaking adults and household members ages 18 and older living and/or working within the Lake Nona study zone in Orlando, Florida are asked to participate (roughly 10,000 people as of early 2015).
Also, you must complete a simple questionnaire about your health and lifestyle, with follow-ups about once a year. All information is strictly confidential and you can opt out anytime. Participants will also benefit from health events and seminars with nationally-recognized thought leaders.
The Lake Nona Life Project is ambitious. It’s huge in size and in vision. It could genuinely help others for years to come. And it’s only possible with your help.
If you’re interested in taking part in the Lake Nona Life Project, sign up today at http://aboutlakenonalifeproject.com and complete the first step, the Community Count, by clicking on the Participate tab. Or you can call the project at (407) 722-7257 either to ask questions or to sign up. You can also direct your questions to the project at lakenonalifeproject@lakenonainstitute.org.