A recent edition of the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast, features an interview with journalist Dan Beuttner who has collected and analysed the data on those communities across the world which have gathered some celebrity for the longevity of their citizens. [1]
In a number of cases the data suggested that regions, such as the Hunza valley of Pakistan and the Caucuses in Georgia, had an exaggerated and unjustified reputation for longevity, but Beuttner’s research did identify 5 locations where people are, on average, living significantly longer and healthier lives than in the developed world in general, notably with very low incidence of dementia [2] A striking feature of the locations is just how different they are, ranging from a 7th Day Adventist community in Loma Linda, California, to Nicoya in Costa Rica, where residents are twice as likely as Americans to reach a healthy age 90.
The research is holistic in its attempt to understand why residents of the communities appear to live such long and healthy lives, which is to say, they do not only look at diet, but also consider levels of physical activity, religious belief and so on. Dan Beuttner is clear that their findings are correlational and do not establish simple cause effect relationships between the way these communities live and the health and long lives of their residents but nevertheless they feel able to offer some guidance and are now attempting to, as they say, reverse engineer their findings, so that others may consider adapting their lifestyle in the hope of benefiting from similar health outcomes.
Omlette, or could it be a frittata?…with tomatoes, rocket and feta cheese.
I feel at this point, that I must enter a cautionary note. It should be obvious that the constitution we have been individually dealt in the great lottery of health, may not necessarily benefit from adopting one of these blue zone life and diet styles. Not everyone born into a blue zone will be fortunate in attaining a healthy old age, and for some individuals, what the blue zone offers may not be well matched to their particular needs.
And then of course there is that other stark reality: however well matched our diets and lifestyles are to our individual needs, there is an inescapable exit point from this life, for all of us, a thought which should sharpen our appreciation of the present moment, so long as it continues to be available.
To leaven that salutary thought I shall throw in a piece of wisdom, gleaned from the Reader’s Digest, a publication which, for good or bad, was the basis of a significant portion of my teenage reading. I believe a relative gifted a subscription, as an annual Christmas present, to my Mother.
A Japanese centenarian was being quizzed on the secret of his long life. He had little to say on the subject, but after a little thought offered the following: “Stop eating before you’re full up!” Whilst it’s not a directive I’ve always felt inclined to follow, it continues to resonate with me as one of the soundest pieces of advice I’ve been offered over the years.
I am a retired College lecturer, having worked originally in supported programmes but latterly having taught social science subjects, Psychology and Politics, though my degree was in Sociology. I am from Newry in Northern Ireland, but now live in Dumfries in South West Scotland. https://carruchan.wordpress.com/about/
Carruchan
Reasons to be cheerful, blue zones and the importance of stopping eating before you’re full up.
A recent edition of the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast, features an interview with journalist Dan Beuttner who has collected and analysed the data on those communities across the world which have gathered some celebrity for the longevity of their citizens. [1]
In a number of cases the data suggested that regions, such as the Hunza valley of Pakistan and the Caucuses in Georgia, had an exaggerated and unjustified reputation for longevity, but Beuttner’s research did identify 5 locations where people are, on average, living significantly longer and healthier lives than in the developed world in general, notably with very low incidence of dementia [2] A striking feature of the locations is just how different they are, ranging from a 7th Day Adventist community in Loma Linda, California, to Nicoya in Costa Rica, where residents are twice as likely as Americans to reach a healthy age 90.
The research is holistic in its attempt to understand why residents of the communities appear to live such long and healthy lives, which is to say, they do not only look at diet, but also consider levels of physical activity, religious belief and so on. Dan Beuttner is clear that their findings are correlational and do not establish simple cause effect relationships between the way these communities live and the health and long lives of their residents but nevertheless they feel able to offer some guidance and are now attempting to, as they say, reverse engineer their findings, so that others may consider adapting their lifestyle in the hope of benefiting from similar health outcomes.
I feel at this point, that I must enter a cautionary note. It should be obvious that the constitution we have been individually dealt in the great lottery of health, may not necessarily benefit from adopting one of these blue zone life and diet styles. Not everyone born into a blue zone will be fortunate in attaining a healthy old age, and for some individuals, what the blue zone offers may not be well matched to their particular needs.
And then of course there is that other stark reality: however well matched our diets and lifestyles are to our individual needs, there is an inescapable exit point from this life, for all of us, a thought which should sharpen our appreciation of the present moment, so long as it continues to be available.
To leaven that salutary thought I shall throw in a piece of wisdom, gleaned from the Reader’s Digest, a publication which, for good or bad, was the basis of a significant portion of my teenage reading. I believe a relative gifted a subscription, as an annual Christmas present, to my Mother.
A Japanese centenarian was being quizzed on the secret of his long life. He had little to say on the subject, but after a little thought offered the following: “Stop eating before you’re full up!” Whilst it’s not a directive I’ve always felt inclined to follow, it continues to resonate with me as one of the soundest pieces of advice I’ve been offered over the years.
Footnotes and references
[1] Reasons to be Cheerful Podcast, featuring Ed Milliband and Geoff Lloyd https://www.cheerfulpodcast.com/
[2] Original Bluezones website: https://www.bluezones.com/live-longer-better/original-blue-zones/#section-2
Share this:
About Stephen Shellard
I am a retired College lecturer, having worked originally in supported programmes but latterly having taught social science subjects, Psychology and Politics, though my degree was in Sociology. I am from Newry in Northern Ireland, but now live in Dumfries in South West Scotland. https://carruchan.wordpress.com/about/