Tony Buettner, a member of the National Geographic Blue Zones team will share Blue Zones research on March 23.
What do the citizens of Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California and Nicoya, Costa Rica have in common? What is it about their daily routine that makes them live longer—healthily? Why are the people in these communities reaching 100 years of age at rates 10 times greater than in the United States? Find out the answers to these questions and more at a special presentation by Tony Buettner, a member of the National Geographic Blue Zones team, at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Monday, March 23 at 6 p.m.
Come hear this intriguing and entertaining presentation about the work that began in 2004 when Dan Buettner teamed up with National Geographic and the world’s best longevity researchers to identify pockets around the world where people lived measurably better.
After identifying the world’s Blue Zones, Dan Buettner and National Geographic took teams of scientists to each location to identify lifestyle characteristics that might explain longevity. They found that the lifestyles of all Blue Zones residents shared nine specific characteristics. They call these characteristics the “Power 9.”
Dan Buettner’s subsequent book The Blue Zones hit the New York Times best-seller list and took Buettner everywhere from Oprah to TED visit to Bill Clinton’s Health Matters Initiative. The success prompted a new challenge: could a Blue Zone be built in the U.S.?
In 2009 Blue Zones partnered with AARP and the United Health Foundation to apply the Power 9 principles to Albert Lea, Minnesota. After just one year, Blue Zones reported that participants added an estimated 2.9 years to their average lifespan while healthcare claims for city workers dropped 49 percent. Harvard’s Walter Willett called the results “stunning.”
Blue Zones is now working to build Blue Zones in cities and businesses across the country. The Blue Zones Project is a systems approach in which citizens, schools, employers, restaurants, grocery stores and community leaders collaborate on policies and programs that move the community towards better health and well-being. The Blue Zone mission is to help people live longer, better lives.
The presentation is sponsored by Cook County Public Health and Human Services, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, the SHIP program, Moving Matters, and the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
Blue Zones lessons from Sardinia, Italy
* Eat a lean, plant-based diet accented with meat
* Put family first
* Drink goat’s milk
* Celebrate elders
* Take a walk
* Drink a glass of red wine daily
* Laugh with friends
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