Blue Zones founder to speak at high school

There are less than two weeks until the Blue Zones Project homecoming kickoff in Albert Lea, and Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner said he is looking forward to again meeting with city residents.

Buettner, a National Geographic explorer and New York Times best-selling author, brought the Blue Zones pilot project to Albert Lea in 2009. The effort sought to transform the environment to make the city a healthier place to live.

Now, five years later, after being invited back to the community in a partnership with Healthways Inc., he said he hopes to re-energize some of the efforts already undertaken and take the project to a new level.

Buettner will speak at the kickoff Nov. 5 in the Albert Lea High School auditorium.

“I’m excited to get back to innovation with Albert Lea,” he said, noting he wants to again showcase the city.

The pilot project incorporated Buettner’s research of areas around the world where people are happily living the longest.

During the 10 months of the project, participants increased their projected life expectancy by 2.9 years and local employers reported a decline in health care claims costs and decreased absenteeism.

The results spread across the country, garnering national media attention to Albert Lea.

“The reason Albert Lea caught national attention was because they were willing to take a risk, willing to tackle health care problems in a different way,” Buettner said. “It was hugely courageous.”

After establishing the pilot program, Buettner partnered with Healthways Inc. to form what has been deemed the Blue Zones Project to help other communities do the same thing.

It has since spread to California, Iowa, Texas, Hawaii, Florida and Oregon, he said, and residents there are seeing similar success.

Buettner said in Los Angeles the obesity rate of participants dropped 15 percent and the smoking rate dropped 30 percent.

“That will save them tens of millions of dollars in cancer costs,” he said.

With the return to Albert Lea, the city will be one of several communities across the country seeking to achieve official Blue Zones Community certification. The certification asks the community to fulfill several requirements — many of which the city began implementing in 2009.

But Buettner said the real focus is on health.

“The goal is to keep Albert Lea healthy in a measurable way,” Buettner said.

He commended the work the city has already done on denormalizing smoking

He will introduce a few dozen evidence-based changes that people can make to their lives that he said will yield big benefits.

One new initiative of the project will be potluck moais, where people can bring healthy food options to get-togethers and not only get to sample different recipes but also interact with others. They can sign up to participate that night.

“The average person in Albert Lea could probably live an extra 11 or 12 years if they optimized their lifestyle,” Buettner said.

 

If you go

What: Blue Zones Project homecoming kickoff

When: 5:30 p.m., Nov. 5

Where: Albert Lea High School auditorium

 

If you go

What: Potluck moai sign-up

When: 6:30 p.m., Nov. 5

Where: Albert Lea High School commons