The second blue zone I will be exploring is Okinawa, Japan (the prefecture).
Quick facts:
Okinawa as a blue zone: Okinawa has around 25 centenarians per 100,000, and it’s likely that this number is accurate, as the Japanese government is pretty thorough about the data about its people. Two concepts stood out to be unique to the Japanese and longevity: moai and ikigai. Moai is a group of lifelong friends who support each other in many aspects, from social to financial interests. These groups of friends can last from childhood all the way to the 100s! Throughout their lives, these groups meet, play games, have conversations, just like any other friend group. I think what makes these groups special, though, is the lifelong commitment to each other. Especially throughout childhood, friends usually come and go— we can be close with a couple people in elementary school, but then drift apart in middle school, and that’s the way it is. However, in moais, the friends are committed to one another for life. In a way, these groups are like extended family. Ikigai loosely translates to a reason for being, having a reason to get up in the morning. It seems like gardening is very popular among older Okinawans, which is definitely a reason to get up everyday. Gardening also provides health benefits in itself, providing physical activity and healthy foods. According to Hector Garcia, co-author of the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, “your ikigai is at the intersection of what you are good at and what you love doing.” More specifically, it’s where what you love, what the world needs, what you’re good at, and what you can get paid for converge. At its core, it’s finding meaningfulness in life. These two Japanese concepts place value on living and living into old age. However, what makes Okinawa special compared to the rest of Japan? Ikigai is a popular concept throughout Japan, so perhaps it’s not the main reason Okinawa stands out as a blue zone. However, moai seems to have originated in Okinawa, only gaining attention after Buettner noted it as a characteristic of the blue zone. I also found another interesting characteristic of Okinawa that differs from other places in Japan: uchinaa (Okinawa) time. Contrasting Japan’s precision and punctuality, Okinawans pride themselves on “polite tardiness” and have a forgiving attitude towards being late. I think this may reflect a more relaxed attitude, perhaps related to people feeling less stress. Though, now that I’m thinking about it, if I lived on a tropical island with a group of lifelong friends, I’d definitely be less stressed!
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As I mentioned in my last post, I will be talking about the five original blue zones for these next couple of posts! The first one is Sardinia, Italy.
Quick facts:
Sardinia as a blue zone: Sardinia was the first blue zone identified by Buettner. His journey to Sardinia was sparked by interest in the M26 genetic marker, which supposedly is related to longevity. I had never heard of this genetic marker myself until researching the blue zones, so I was curious to learn more. However, there doesn’t seem to be much research on it with regards to longevity, making me cautious about the claim. I did find information about a study that found that 150 genes could be related to longevity, and wow, isn’t that a lot! Whether it’s one or many genes, Buettner was led to Sardinia, where he found almost 10x more centenarians per capita than in the United States. A particularly interesting point about Sardinia is that its ratio of male to female centenarians is around 1:1! Some characteristics of the Sardinia lifestyle that’re noted are a plant-based diet with occasional meat, emphasis on family and celebrating elders, walking daily, drinking red wine and goat’s milk, and laughing with friends. I think celebrating the elderly particularly plays a prominent role in their health. The attitude of dismissing the elderly as frail and incompetent, the common view in a society that values youth, has negative impacts to health, both mental and physical. As with anyone being stigmatized, a lowered self-esteem, social isolation, and depression can ensue. Physical health-wise, this attitude can put stress on the elderly, as they’re constantly worried about being a burden to society. The stigma around aging has even been shown to be related to a shorter life. The detrimental effects are nicely summarized in this article, discussing a systematic review done on the health consequences of ageism. Positivity: such a simple concept that can perhaps change the course of our lives. Of course, there are many other variables that contribute to our lifespan, but changing our view of the elderly can be an easy fix, if we set our minds to do so. Supporting the elderly as integral members of society and respecting them for their wisdom can lead to positive impacts on health -- like increased motivation for productivity, stress-free environment -- which may ultimately lead to a longer life. |
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