Creation of "Blue Zones"
We want to promote the creation of longevity zones in Portugal and in Portuguese-speaking countries, through the creation of scientific "Blue Zones".
The "Blue Zones" are the extraordinary regions, located in different parts of the planet, in which the local population has the longest longevity, the lowest disease rate (cancer, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, among others) and the best quality of life and wellbeing, when compared with other people from other regions of the Earth.
Based on extensive reports and research, National Geographic experts have obtained the key factors that make the residents of the "Blue Zones" live longer and better, with more health, happiness and serenity.
Blue Zones are places where residents have outlived their average life expectancy.
While some people focus their efforts only on healthy eating and exercise, there are other important ingredients to complete and surpass 100 years of age. Lifestyle-related diseases are a major concern for both developed and developing countries.
According to the World Health Organization, in Europe, five diseases together — including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and mental health disorders — account for about 86% of deaths and 77% of the modern disease burden. It is estimated that 80% of heart disease, strokes around 40% of malignant tumours could be prevented, mainly through improvements in diet and lifestyle.
Therefore, there is a great interest of the scientific community in being able to identify the populations with the greatest chance of having a longer life with quality of life and to better study their characteristics.
Some scientists are trying to identify if there is any common element between these populations in terms of lifestyle that would help contribute to an exceptionally long and healthy life. There are five locations described as "Blue Zones", among them: Okinawa, in Japan; Loma Linda, in California; the Barbagia region, in Sardinia; the Nicoya Peninsula, in Costa Rica; and Ikaria, in Greece.
Projects in Portugal
"Blue Zones" projects are wellbeing initiatives that apply the lessons of "Blue Zones" to whole communities, focusing on changes in the local environment, public policy and social networks.
The good news is that there is much that can be done at individual, community and national levels to correct the growing trend of lifestyle-related diseases. Traditionally, medicine and health care has focused on treating disease rather than preventing it. The last decade has seen the development of a new trend in lifestyle medicine and we are learning more about the complex ways in which our behaviours influence our bodies to produce disease.
If we can put it that way, one of the "positive" impacts of COVID-19 is that the pandemic has made us much more aware of the importance of health in our lives. It has increased our understanding of the impact of our individual decisions and actions on risk management Now is the time to change the way we think about health, so that we are concerned not only with the absence of disease, but also with our physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Our goal is to create in Portugal and in local communities, "Blue Zones" with the support of international experts with experience in creating these zones in several continents.