“
No one outruns death, but hunter-gatherers come closest” and “
People weren’t so lazy back then” are two enticing, interrelating, and motivating articles from the
Harvard Gazette to get folks physically moving.
2 min read
Time Affluence and Scarcity Influence Well-Being
“What is the right amount of free time?” This question was examined with statistical detail in an American Psychological Association study entitled
“Having Too Little or Too Much Time Is Linked to Lower Subjective Well-Being.”
Topics: Bulletin
4 min read
AHA and US Conference of Mayors Recognize Blue Zones Project Value and Impact
Recognition by respected organizations is reassuring and fulfilling. Within the last few weeks, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the United States Conference of Mayors independently came to the same conclusion: Blue Zones Projects profoundly and objectively improve individuals' and communities’ health and well-being.
Topics: Bulletin
5 min read
Data-Driven Approaches to Improving Well-Being
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” is a paraphrase from Lewis Carroll’s
Adventures in Wonderland. Metrics matter, and having easy access to comprehensive, contemporaneous, accurate knowledge will help everyone live a longer, happier, and healthier life.
Topics: Bulletin
3 min read
Brevard, NC Celebrates Blue Zones Project Anniversary and Success
Brevard, in the mountains of Western North Carolina, is an exemplary Blue Zones Project that recently celebrated its anniversary. The community’s transformation serves as a model for the surrounding region and the entire nation.
Topics: Bulletin
2 min read
September is National Women in Medicine Month
Currently, about half of medical school matriculants are women. However, decades ago, the percentage of women entering medical school was in the single digits. This fact was true with my class starting in 1969, having fewer than ten women out of 132 total at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.
The profoundly positive influence of women in all professions has been documented in many objective studies. Pertinent to medicine, do patient outcomes differ between those treated by male and female physicians? Two recent statistical studies have shown decreased mortality rates for hospitalized patients cared for by female physicians.
Topics: Bulletin
4 min read
Growing Old Doesn't Have to Be Scary
Science has unlocked innumerable possibilities for people to live better lives. From the rapid development of a highly effective COVID-19 vaccine to constant advances in medical treatments, living without suffering has become an attainable goal for groups who never would have dreamed it possible even a few years ago.
Topics: Power 9
2 min read
Long Commutes Stifle Creativity and Productivity
“
Commuting Hurts Productivity and Your Best Talent Suffers Most” is not only the title of an article from
Harvard Business School but also an important consideration as society readjusts post-pandemic, even if slowly, from working at home to returning to the office.
Topics: Bulletin
4 min read
COVID’s Challenge and Corry’s Comeback
While all communities felt the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 60 U.S. communities implementing a large-scale population health initiative demonstrated resilience across many measures.
The city of Corry, Pennsylvania, offers an illustrative example. Highmark, AHN Saint Vincent, LECOM Health, Corry Memorial Hospital, and UPMC partnered with Erie County government and launched a community well-being partnership with Blue Zones Project by Sharecare (BZP) in 2019. Before anyone knew a once-in-a-century pandemic was about to change life in the U.S., the conditions for a living experiment in resilience were created.
Topics: Bulletin Corry
2 min read
The Well-Being Impacts of Poverty and Wealth
Poverty exacerbates sickness, and wealth protects well-being—two sides of the same coin viewed from opposite sides.
“
Association of Wealth with Longevity in U.S. Adults at Midlife” published last month in JAMA confirms higher net worth by midlife had significantly lower mortality risk over the subsequent 24 years.
