Where do people live the longest? Welcome to the notion of blue zones.
I met somebody earlier this week who recommended to me a series of programmes available on Netflix. The series is called “Live To 100: Secrets Of The Blue Zones” and consists of four programmes averaging around 40 minutes each.
Presenter, American Dan Buettner, visits five locations around the world where there is an exceptional number of centenarians, so-called ‘blue zones’: Okinawa, Japan; Barbagia, Sardinia; Lomo Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica.
In each case, he looks at local factors than could explain the situation in that ‘blue zone’. then he pulls together the commonalities and summarises the emergent key factors.
Nothing here is new, but it’s fascinating to see the factors highlighted in actual communities where demonstrably something special is going on. So, in the and, Buettner promotes four ideas for longevity: move naturally through work and walking; have a positive outlook with a purpose in life; eat wisely with more plant-based foods; build connections through family, friends and local communities.
In the final programme, Buettner looks at where one can actually create ‘blue zones’ even in a country like his own, the United States, where three-quarters of the population is overweight or obese. He outlines a successful trial in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Then he considers the dramatic increases in longevity in Singapore and how the government there is using nudge theory to promote healthier living.
A major take-away from the series is that dramatic changes can be made quite quickly which will increase longevity for individuals and save costs for administrations. But these changes require interventionistrist administrations which take a holistic approach involving the community and providing nudges and incentives rather than mandatory dictates.
At the beginning, the series explains that the programmes are about information and entertainment and are not recommending fully-trialled and full-validated scientific principles, but there is a good deal of sense here that should be discussed and debated by individuals, families, and administrations.
If you can’t access the television series, you might like to read the book.