"Blue Zones" are small geographic pockets inhabited by the
world's longest-lived populations. Dan Buettner launched the Blue Zones Quests in 2005 to study and research these rare regions
and to share what they can tell the rest of us about how to live longer and better.
The term "Blue Zones" is an accident of history. In a meeting with Italian colleagues in
2001, demographer Michael Poulain highlighted on a map, with a blue marker, the region in Sardinia where an exceptionally large concentration of
centenarians lived, and so the first "Blue Zone" was born.
So far, Buettner and his team have explored three Blue Zones regions: Okinawa, Japan; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; and the
remote Greek island of Ikarķa. Buettner has also written about two other Blue Zones: the Barbagia region of Sardinia, Italy; and Loma Linda, California. In
each of these regions, people reach age 100 at rates significantly higher than the rest of us, and on average live longer, healthier lives. They also suffer
about one-fifth the rate of heart disease and cancer found in America. Analyses show that lifestyle habits play a greater role in increasing your chances of longevity than genetics do. Diet, exercise, spiritual
values, even mental attitude are important determining factors.
Behind Blue Zones
Dan Buettner talks with 100-year-old Francesca Castillo. – Photo by Gianluca Colla
Dan Buettner, co-director of the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project sponsored by
United Health Foundation and Blue Zones founder, is the New York Times best-selling author of "The Blue Zones: Lessons
for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest." Buettner is an internationally recognized explorer and educator, public
speaker, and co-producer of an Emmy Award-winning travel documentary. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show,
Good Morning America, The Today Show, ABC World News, CBS's The Early Show and CNN.
Daily exercise is one of the secrets to longevity. – Photo by iStockphoto/Amygdala Imagery
Dan Buettner talks with 100-year-old Francesca Castillo. – Photo by Gianluca Colla
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