October 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 44

DAN BUETTNER
What are blue zones? " A geographically
defined area with a
population that lives measurably
longest, " explains
work prompted the founding of
the
for-profit
Zones®
Project®
help communities
establish
organization, Blue
, along with the Blue Zones
initiative, which strives to
policies
and practices for improving
people's overall long-term health
and well-being. Buettner has even
introduced a line of affordable
frozen meals, called Blue Zones
Kitchen,
based on the
plant-based diets
healthy
of designated
blue zone communities around the
world. More recently, his research
has been highlighted in the Netflix
docuseries, Live to 100: Secrets of the
Blue Zones.
What are blue zones?
" A geographically defined
area with a population that
lives measurably longest, "
explains Buettner.
Parks & Recreation: How did
your childhood and family life
influence your interest in nature,
outdoor recreation and travel?
Dan Buettner: From age 5 on, my
dad would take me to the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area [Wilderness],
and I learned self-sufficiency and
appreciation of nature.... I went to
day camp [and] I had a playground
at the end of my block, where I spent
almost my entire summers. I played
Little League baseball, football and
hockey. The main social hub for me
" When it comes to longevity, you have
to think of things that are going to
influence your behaviors for decades
or a lifetime, " which includes access to
healthy foods, says Buettner.
Buettner. His
On Tuesday, October 8, Buettner
will present the keynote during the
Opening General Session at the
2024 NRPA Annual Conference
in Atlanta. Parks & Recreation magazine
recently spoke with Buettner
to learn more about blue zones,
why we need to change our thinking
about our overall health and
living habits, and the impact that
parks and recreation can have on
communities to ensure people of
all ages can experience healthier,
happier and longer-life outcomes.
was [what] we called... " the shanty, "
but it was basically the park,
North Dale playground. Now, of
course, it's a fancy recreation facility.
[From childhood] into my teens,
we were at national parks [during
summers]. I also live in a place [in]
Minneapolis, where nobody in the
neighborhood is more than about
400 yards from a park. In my work,
we find a huge correlation between
access to nature and parks. Parks
are the closest thing we get to nature
and happiness, [especially] if we're
living in the city.
P&R: In your Netflix docuseries,
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue
Zones, you said that worldwide,
about two-thirds of the 8 billion
people on this planet will die
prematurely from an avoidable
disease. And, for the first time
in a century, life expectancy is
dropping in the United States. In
order to fix this, you stated, " it's
not by trying to prevent death;
it's by learning how to live. "
This seems like a commonsense
notion on its face, but what
makes this more complicated?
Buettner: Well, about 20 percent of
the longevity formula is your genes.
The variance in a population only
accounts for 20 percent. Fifteen
percent is your healthcare - your
doctor [visits], the pharmaceuticals
you take, your hospital care, etc. -
that still leaves 65 percent of the
longevity formula. So, two-thirds
of the longevity formula is health
maintenance, and we don't really
invest in that as a country. We invest
$4.4 trillion in that tiny 15 percent.
But not...a lot in creating an
environment that preserves health,
which is mainly my interest.
[I]f
you
look at...your
gym
membership or CrossFit or yoga
[classes], they all last just a hand44
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October 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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