Concerned health care workers, community members, and business leaders gathered Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Conference Room to discuss the overall health of the community and the possibility of joining the Blue Zone Project.
Blue Zones are areas where people statistically live longer due to the adoption of healthier lifestyles, organizers shared. The adoption of the Blue Zone Project for this area is pending.
Area businesses, schools and residents would need to agree to make changes to promote healthy lifestyles and assist in enacting those changes as well, Missouri Highlands Healthcare CEO Karen White said.
In Butler County and the surrounding communities, the average age of death is between 68 and 72, according to White.
“Let that sink in for a second — in the Blue Zones, that age of death increases by 20 years or more. That’s 20 years of memory, impacts and wisdom of the past,” said White.
White explained that today, an average of 42% of the patients they see in this area are overweight.
“The poor health outlook that each of our patients deals with isn’t just numbers — these are people we know, our friends, our family, our neighbors, folks that we see on a daily basis, not just in the clinic and the pharmacy, but those abiding alongside us, and we are slowly watching the clock,” said White.
Some Blue Zones mentioned during the presentation were Beach Cities, California, where the obesity rate has been reduced by 25% since the adoption of the project, according to the information presented. Albert Lea, Minnesota, has reduced health care claims by 49% and increased life expectancy by 3 years, while Fort Worth, Texas, has seen a 31% decrease in smoking and helped schools win $3.2 million in Safe Routes to School funding.
Danny Buettner Jr., son of Blue Zones author and founder Dan Buettner, is the president and national spokesperson for Blue Zones. He is also the director of Solutions for Blue Zones Projects.
During the presentation, Buettner shared several stories encouraging attendees to adopt the “Power 9” way of life. According to the website, “Power 9” consists of nine habits and lifestyle factors that contribute to longevity and good health.
Blue Zone proponents believe in these Power 9 habits, sharing the following:
• Move naturally: The world’s longest-lived people live in environments that nudge them into moving without thinking about it, rather than pumping iron, running marathons or joining gyms.
• Purpose: Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.
• Downshift: Routines to shed stress can help combat chronic inflammation, which is associated with every major age-related disease.
• 80% rule: Okinawans use the Confucian mantra “Hara hachi bu” to remind them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full.
• Plant slant: Beans are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets, with meat eaten only five times per month on average.
• Wine at 5: People in all Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly, with moderate drinkers outliving non-drinkers.
• Belong: Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month can add 4-14 years of life expectancy.
• Loved ones first: Successful centenarians put their families first, keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home.
• Right tribe: The world’s longest-lived people choose or are born into social circles that support healthy behaviors.
Buettner also discussed the “grandmother effect,” which states that children who have frequent contact with a grandparent have lower mortality and disease rates. The grandparents also benefit by staying more engaged and active, increasing their likelihood of living longer.
He continued to explain the need for purpose as individuals age, stating that the world’s longest-living people are given responsibilities, volunteer and are asked to be on community councils and committees. “They do walking groups, civic patrols, where they walk around looking to help people, so they have a sense of purpose, which is a big part of Blue Zones,” said Buettner.
White believes the timing for this endeavor in this region is perfect.
“Coming out of the pandemic, many are struggling with health, well-being and connection. The Power 9, as part of the Blue Zones Project, addresses key components to each of these,” explained White.
“We are very excited to bring community partners together in this endeavor. It takes a community to make systemic changes,” said White. “And it’s all of us working together diligently, in thoughtful ways, to make this work.”
White currently resides in Van Buren, but said she is in the process of moving to Alley Spring to be closer to her aging mother following her father’s passing.
“She’s 88 and made many of the systemic changes outlined in the Blue Zone Project in her late 40s following her diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, long before it was a known phenomenon,” said White. “Much of her health and well-being journey has obviously informed me as I carry out my role as CEO of Missouri Highlands.”
For more information on the Blue Zone project visit www.bluezones.com.