Blue Zones Communities – Creating Environments of Health

The Blue Zones Project employs evidence-based ways to help communities of people live longer, better. Throughout selected communities, Blue Zones takes a systematic, environmental approach to well-being, which focuses on optimizing policy, building design, social networks, and the built environment.

In 2009, Albert Lea, Minnesota, a statistically average American city, completed the pilot Blue Zones Community health experiment and raised life expectancy by three years, trimmed a collective 12,000 pounds off waistlines and dropped healthcare costs of city workers by some 40%.

Blue Zones is currently working with Healthways in many communities around the nation, including the Beach Cities of Los Angeles and throughout the entire state of Iowa.

Mission

Our goal is to implement evidence-based research to systematically change environments and maximize well-being through policy, building design, social networks, and built environment improvements.

Method

Our strategy focuses on optimizing the health environment instead of individual behavior change. When the healthy choice is the easier choice, people’s well-being naturally improves. Rather than asking residents to walk more, we make walking easier and more desirable than driving. By making nutritious, wholesome foods more prevalent and accessible than junk foods, more people will begin to eat healthier naturally.