Comments on: Blue Zones – Places In the World Where People Live to 100 and Stay Healthy

By: Disabling a Single Gene Extends Mice Life by 20% | Singularity Hub

Disabling a Single Gene Extends Mice Life by 20% | Singularity Hub — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:55:01 +0000

[...] for the treatment. Longevity in general, whether it comes from a pill, a genetic treatment, or an improved lifestyle, is likely to interest humanity more and more as our population continues to age. Related [...]

By: Mprize: Your Children Could Be Immortal | Singularity Hub

Mprize: Your Children Could Be Immortal | Singularity Hub — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:57:02 +0000

[...] and so it no longer qualifies for the Mprize but it does have parallels in humans. Look at those people who live long healthy lives in the Blue Zones, or extraordinary individuals like Gertrude Baines who lived to 115 without any longevity [...]

By: Study: Elderly With Less Vitamin D More Likely to Die | Singularity Hub

Study: Elderly With Less Vitamin D More Likely to Die | Singularity Hub — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:42:59 +0000

[...] with more lean proteins from small fish and see where that gets us. Maybe we’ll create new Blue Zones. Related Posts:Vitamin D and Fish Oil – Time to Put Up or Shut UpReview of Vitamin D Video Beta [...]

By: marla pesterson

marla pesterson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:20:40 +0000

Please pass me a carrot.

By: Gladys Dale

Gladys Dale — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:37:22 +0000

My family is from Puerto Rico, which is an Island, and we still have a history of heart desease and diabedies. I agree with improvment of lifestyle adding to longetivity and overall quality of life. It couldn’t hurt. I’m willing to try it.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:00:50 +0000

This is a great article. To believe that this is all a marketing scam to get the country to eat healthier and live longer is preposterous. Taking money away from pharmaceutical companies and fast food industry and making the country healthier? Keep scamming me please.

By: Health, Taken Seriously » Blue zones

Health, Taken Seriously » Blue zones — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:59:06 +0000

[...] with me about places in the world where people longer and healthier than in most areas–called blue zones. There are five blue zones in the world–Okinawa, Japan, a penninsula on Costa Rice, an [...]

By: It’s Lifestyle, stupid ! « Petervan’s Blog

It’s Lifestyle, stupid ! « Petervan’s Blog — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:11:42 +0000

[...] read this article on Singularity Hub site, and dream away with all these great subjects like Longevity, Nanotech, [...]

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:38:52 +0000

This whole “blue zone” thing is really a money-making scam…it’s quackery. The big lie is that longevity only occurs on these “blue zones” that Dan discovered…this is nothing more than a marketing scheme using the leverage of big-moneyed interests (National Geographic, NY Times, AARP) which are there to fleece baby boomers out of their money. No need to pay someone to tell you that eating right, exercising, being socially connected, and taking a stress-reducing cruise to a Greek island etc. will result in a better lifestyle. I’m sure that if Dan went to another Greek island the people would be doing just as great. By the way, the world’s oldest person lives in smoggy Los Angeles. Lifestyle is important but it’s not the only factor, genetics and luck make a difference too.

By: Blue Zones – Places In the World Where People Live to 100 and Stay Healthy « Kivivi Blog

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:27:23 +0000

[...] 22, 2009 Five blue zones have so far been identified and thoroughly researched by journalist Dan Buettner [...]

By: Marvin Caldwell-Barr

Marvin Caldwell-Barr — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:19:39 +0000

Keith

As you say, right now we can’t do anything about our genes, so the next best thing is to live as much as possible the blue zone life. I, too, try to follow that lifestyle.

By: Healthy Lifestyle or Healthy Genes: The Quest for Longevity « Rrab9’s Blog

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:58:57 +0000

[...] life | Tags: genes, lifestyle, longevity, quest | Leave a Comment A few minutes ago I commented on a blog expounding the longevity benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The writer points to the so-called blue [...]

By: Keith Kleiner

Keith Kleiner — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:46:39 +0000

David & Marvin,

I really can’t argue much with what either of you have said. Good points from both of you. You both show that genetics may play a strong role, but this still doesn’t take away from the lifestyle angle of the story. For the guy in Marvin’s story, jogging to work everyday may have had a huge impact on his longevity. We can’t do much about the genetics portion of who we are (at least not yet) but we have great control over our lifestyle choices. I believe that the lifestyle choices of the blue zone people are a good path to go and so that is what I have been doing and will continue to do. As you know, elements of the blue zone lifestyle (such as exercise and low stress) are supported by several studies to be good for health, so these recommendations have more evidence than just the blue zone study to support them.

By: Marvin Caldwell-Barr

Marvin Caldwell-Barr — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:08:48 +0000

We know that people can have genetic predisposition to cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc. Too, people can have genetic resistance to the same diseases. The common thread of predisposition or resistance can run through families down the generations.

I remember reading about a guy in Britain who every night for forty or so years drank a dozen or more pints of beer in his local pub, his supper consisting of a pie or two or a couple of boiled eggs, whichever was available for purchase at the pub. He ate practically no fruit or vegetables.

He was also a heavy smoker.

The article described how Harley Street specialists found him to be in perfect health.

Currently in the news is a guy who has already passed his hundredth birthday. He too spends most of his leisure time in the local pub quaffing copious tankards-full of beer. And he smokes.

He is fit and healthy and jogs to his job as a car washer every day.

I believe a healthy lifestyle is beneficial. But I have no doubt that genetics plays the dominant role in longevity.

The people in those blue zones probably share longevity genes. And remember, they don’t all live long, healthy lives. Some of them succumb to heart disease and cancer just like people do anywhere else in the world.

In case you are wondering, I am a teetotaller, so I have no personal agenda to push here.

By: David

David — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:44:41 +0000

I understand the point of how healthy lifestyles improve longevity, but using these blue zones as an example of that is the wrong approach I think, because of other factors that could be involved. If your article’s purpose was indeed to illustrate the impact of lifestyle on longevity, I would find a twin study to be much more compelling. This just doesn’t seem very scientific.