PS: Well-being and the secrets of a long life
The virtues of teaching wellbeing
This page is not in essence a pedagogical one. However, the arguments presented in it can be used to refocus what we are doing in schools and provides confirmation of the importance of addressing wellbeing as a central issue. The resources are also good to use in assemblies and personal and social education lessons.
So called ‘blue zones’ are places in the world where people live longer and healthier than anywhere else on earth. Several of these blue zones exist, and in each of these places people living to 90 or even 100 years is common. And they aren’t just living long either—these people are living healthy—without medication or disability. The secret is lifestyle. Quite simply, these people live a lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, daily exercise, and a low stress life that incorporates family, purpose, religion, and meaning. We could say that they are flourishing.
In the next video National Geographic researcher Dan Buettner explains the secrets of living to over 100 years based on his National Geographic research around the world. He worked with a team of demographers to find pockets of people around the world with the highest life expectancy, or with the highest proportions of people who reach age 100. They found five places that met their criteria:
- Barbagia region of Sardinia – Mountainous highlands of inner Sardinia with the world’s highest concentration of male centenarians.
- Ikaria, Greece – Aegean Island with one of the world’s lowest rates of middle age mortality and the lowest rates of dementia.
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica – World’s lowest rates of middle age mortality, second highest concentration of male centenarians.
- Seventh Day Adventists – Highest concentration is around Loma Linda, California. They live 10 years longer than their North American counterparts.
- Okinawa, Japan – Females over 70 are the longest-lived population in the world.
They then assembled a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists to search for evidence-based common denominators among all places. They found nine:
- Exercise: they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it.
- Purpose: the “why I wake up in the morning.”
- Down Shift: they have routines to shed stress.
- 80% Rule: The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it. People in the blue zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and then they don’t eat any more the rest of the day.
- Diet: Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4 oz., about the size of a deck of cards.
- Alcohol: drink alcohol moderately and regularly.
- Belong: Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.
- Loved Ones First: put their families first and invest in their children with time and love.
Right Tribe: live and belong to social circles that supported healthy behaviours.
How are we challenged?
What are the key challenges for us? What is practical and realistic?