Reposted from Pacific Business News on December 19, 2014.
The Hawaii Medical Service Association is initiating a health and well-being project in Hawaii to inspire more healthy living choices as part of its ten-year agreement with Healthways.
In 2005, National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner started the Blue Zones Project after researching the links between demographics and longevity, and dubbed the areas with the longest life spans "Blue Zones" throughout the world, including places like Okinawa, Japan.
HMSA, a newly designated Blue Zones Employer, is advocating for Hawaii's designation as a Blue Zones Community and reaching out to recruit more Blue Zones employers. It plans to announce three Hawaii communities joining the initiative next year.
"The healthy choice is the easy choice," said Michael Stollar, senior vice president of the HMSA health services division. "We are working in the nature of our designation as an employer to make substantive changes within policy, environment, and create opportunities for employees to connect at a social support level, and opportunities for exercise or natural movement within a work day."
