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Blue Zones Project Blog

Live Longer, Better® 

4 min read

Three New Communities Achieve Certified Blue Zones Community® Status

By Blue Zones Project on Feb 19, 2021 5:42:37 PM

Partnering with Blue Zones Project represents a multi-year commitment by communities to transform well-being. Local teams are hired, steering and leadership committees are formed, and volunteers are engaged to develop custom local blueprints that inform action plans during the initial phase of the project. This collective group of stakeholders work together with the aim of creating measurable well-being change, ultimately qualifying the community to become a certified Blue Zones Community ®.
Topics: Certified Blue Zones Community
3 min read

In honor of Black History Month, a profile of a local champion and Sharecare colleague: John Bobb-Semple

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Feb 19, 2021 5:25:00 PM

Black History Month typically focuses on the courage and fortitude found in heroes who have overcome hardships and pathos endured by generations.  Past suffering, prejudices, inequities, and injustices should always be remembered so as not to be repeated.   Thus, a better future can be created for everyone.
 
Topics: Right Tribe Family First connect
9 min read

Hunger, Food Insecurity, and Obesity—Finding a Common Cure

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Feb 11, 2021 8:26:00 PM

The stress of COVID-19 has exacerbated the paradox of worsening hunger and food insecurity superimposed on a pre-existing overweight and obese population. What is a cure for these intersecting maladies?
 
Topics: Bulletin
4 min read

Secrets to a long, happy life from 102-year old Naples, FL resident

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Feb 5, 2021 4:34:00 PM

I feel as though I’m free from the virus, I hope,” shared 102-year-old bright and engaged Mrs. Ruth Anderson, after she received her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine recently. She expressed her thoughts in a short video.
Topics: Bulletin
3 min read

COVID-19 vaccines are here...now what?

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Jan 29, 2021 9:00:00 AM

COVID-19 vaccination could not be a timelier subject because one in thirteen Americans has already suffered from the infection, which carries a single-digit mortality rate. Survival has improved from March 2020 when the pathophysiology of the virus was not well understood and the treatment was not as effective as current therapy.
Topics: Bulletin
3 min read

"Keep moving" is great advice for health and well-being

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Jan 22, 2021 9:00:00 AM

Each New Year brings resolutions that sadly fall to the wayside after a few weeks. A typical example is trying to adopt a better exercise routine. Interestingly, new recommendations were recently suggested for all   age groups and also special groups  including people with disabilities and pregnant women. [1]  Globally, about   30% of the population is inactive, with a wide variation among nations. [2]
Topics: Move Naturally Bulletin
6 min read

The Proof Case for Addressing the Negative Social Determinants of Health

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Jan 15, 2021 9:00:00 AM

Up to  half of all premature deaths are preventable  by modifying behaviors and exposures that occur in communities.[1] “ The Case For More Active Policy Attention To Health Promotion ” sharpens readers’ attention to policy changes directed at disease prevention and health promotion.[2] Rather than spending over 95% of the  $3.5 trillion (2017)  healthcare dollars on disease, wouldn’t moving upstream to prevent illness in the first place make more sense?[3] The nation has been focused on providing health care rather than creating health.
Topics: Bulletin
3 min read

Four Simple Ways to Prioritize Family

By Blue Zones Project on Jan 9, 2021 5:50:00 PM

Blue Zones researchers discovered the happiest, healthiest people in the world tend to build their lives around family. Centenarians in the original blue zones areas put their loved ones first. Keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home is common, and can lower disease and mortality rates for everyone in the home. Blue zones area residents commit to a life partner, which may add up to three years of life expectancy, and they invest in their children with time and love. This lifelong devotion to family pays off, and there are small steps you can take today to make sure your putting loved ones first.
Topics: Loved Ones First
2 min read

A 2020 retrospective: Blue Zones Project communities demonstrate resilience

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Jan 8, 2021 9:00:00 AM

Relentless resilience and amazing accomplishments by teams in more than 50 communities were among the powerful themes highlighted by Blue Zones Project SVP Michael Acker in a celebratory colleague Town Hall meeting at the end of 2020.
Topics: Bulletin
2 min read

Human interaction essential for well-being

By Allen S. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACR, MBA on Dec 11, 2020 9:00:00 AM

Words, gestures, and their delivery matter. “ People’s words and actions can actually shape your brain,” is the title of a TED talk by Lisa Feldman Barrett, a frequently cited expert on neuroscience and psychology.
Topics: Right Tribe Bulletin Loved Ones First

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