According to the report, “The State of Aging and Health in America 2013,” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a quarter of all Americans and two out of every three older Americans have multiple chronic conditions, and treatment for this population accounts for 66 percent of the country’s healthcare budget.
Mobility is fundamental to the health and well-being of older adults, and the effects of chronic conditions can limit that movement and lead to greater dependence in daily living activities as well as other adverse outcomes.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. About a decade ago, brothers Dan and Nick Buettner began working with National Geographic to travel to places that house the world’s longest-lived populations. They identified five areas called Blue Zones—in Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Loma Linda, Calif.—where people are living remarkably healthy, active lives well into their 90s and 100s.
“They’re still spending time with their families, and still contributing to society as a whole,” says Nick Buettner, executive producer, Blue Zones Expeditions, “Isn’t that what most people would like—to be able to live as they can without the chronic diseases and the compression of morbidity.”
In talking with these populations, researchers found that regardless of their location on the globe, they all shared some common traits, which Blue Zone Expeditions named Power 9. These evidence-based common denominators include ideas about maintaining a purpose in life, belonging to social networks, and staying active.
“When we talk about environments, it’s not just the physical environment but the social and personal aspects, as well,” he says.
In a recent interview with Buettner, I asked him how the built environment can play a role in creating beneficial places to live that include opportunities for increased activity and interaction.
He says the goal is to design the environment in a way that makes the healthy, active option the easiest option. For example, setting up a garden provides a good, low-impact exercise that gives people a sense of purpose and something to do with their friends. Another idea is walking paths around a community that encourage exercise and getting out in a social setting.
“Staying young and living long is mostly a function of your environment,” he says.
As one of the 2014 Environments for Aging Conference keynote speakers, Nick Buettner, executive producer of Blue Zones Expeditions, will share his experiences traveling to places where people are living long, productive lives. For more information on the conference (May 3-6, Anaheim, Calif.), visit EFAconference.com.
