The implementation of the programme started in 2003. In 2014, the Ministry of Health and the Croatian Institute of Public Health organised further implementation of this programme which by acting in the community seeks to inform, educate and sensitise Croatian citizens of all ages about positive aspects of healthy lifestyles: correct nutrition, physical activity, obesity prevention, excessive body mass reduction, reduction in morbidity from chronic non-contagious diseases (cardiovascular diseases, tumours, diabetes tip II, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mental illnesses). Competent state administration bodies and other institutions take part in the implementation of this National programme.

The five components of this programme that include single projects are as follows: Health Education (“Polygons” project, 10-minute exercises, Recommended menus for elementary schools and high schools), Health Tourism (“Walking Towards Health” project), Health and Nutrition (guarantee stamp “Healthy Living”, the Correct Nutrition project at schools), Health and the Workplace (“Company, a Fried of your Health” project), and Health and the Environment (“Volunteers in Parks” project). The target populations of the National Programme are: children and youth, middle-aged and old people, generally – people with increased behavioural and biomedical risk factors.

The expected public health contributions of the National Programme “Living Healthy” are: sensitising citizens about the need to maintain their health, modifying changeable unhealthy habits, reducing morbidity from chronic non-contagious diseases and increasing the share of healthy citizens in the total population of the Republic of Croatia.

With a number of programmes, the City of Rijeka seeks to encourage its citizens to adopt healthy lifestyles. Therefore, it actively takes part in the implementation of the activities envisaged under the “Healthy Living” programme, it continuously implements the campaign “Rijeka in movement” (promotion of movement and physical activity in general), it develops the project “Rijeka Strolling Paths”, while through the Rijeka Healthy City project it endeavours to promote additionally healthy lifestyles.