Speaker: Lifestyle equals longevity

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The first stop was Sardinia, the rugged Italian island with the most male centenarians in the world.

It's a place where whole-grain bread, cheese made from grass-fed sheep and deep red wine rich in antioxidants are staples. And, as adventurer and author Dan Buettner says, "women wear the pants, or at least they carry the rifle."

Buettner has traveled the world, studying specific places where a high percentage of the population lives well into its 80s and 90s -- and even past 100.

Wednesday morning at the Capitol Theatre, he took a Yakima audience on a tour of longevity hot spots, or "Blue Zones," in a lecture titled "Blue Zones: Living Longer and Better -- What Really Works."

His talk was part of the Yakima Town Hall Lecture Series.

Buettner, 49, of Minneapolis, was the second speaker of the 2009-10 season.

During his lecture, he shared photographs and stories from not only Sardinia, but Okinawa, Japan, Loma Linda, Calif., Costa Rica and the Greek island of Ikaria.

The premise was simple: How long humans live is determined 10 percent by genes and
90 percent by lifestyle. It's what you do -- how you live -- that dictates how long you will live, according to Buettner, who maintains people are more in control of their health, and longevity, than they realize.

"We're leaving about 12 good years on the table," said Buettner, who encouraged the crowd to learn from the long-living residents of Okinawa, where tofu and vegetable stir-fries are mainstays and people live disability-free longer than any place in the world.

He also talked about Loma Linda, a Southern California community with a high concentration of Seventh-day Adventists. Many residents there adhere to a Bible-based diet of grains, seeds, legumes and plants. They also have a life expectancy that's nine to 11 years longer than that of other Americans.

Then there's Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, with the lowest rate of middle-age mortality, and Ikaria, where people are three times more likely to reach age 90 than Americans. And they get there with almost no dementia.

Common denominators in these far-flung communities include a diet rich in vegetables, a focus on family, friends and loved ones, and a strong sense of meaning and purpose in people's lives. Faith is a big part of that last piece.

"I'm not a particularly religious person," Buettner said. But, "Religion is a good way for a lot of people to find purpose."

His magazine article, "The Secrets of Living Longer," appeared in the November 2005 issue of National Geographic. And it was a National Magazine Award finalist.

For his book, "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest," Buettner partnered with National Geographic and the National Institute on Aging.

"The chance any of us will reach 100 is not that great," he said. "You actually have a better chance with your IRA, as unlikely as that sounds. You're not hardwired for longevity."

From the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, he said, "You're designed for something called procreative success."

Still, there are things you can do to live longer, like getting seven hours of sleep a night, eating less and walking more. A couple glasses of red wine each day are OK, too.

He has shared his strategies on "Good Morning America," CNN, NPR and "Late Night with David Letterman," among other TV and radio stations and programs.

And he's been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today, along with other publications.

Buettner says he does yoga, bikes to work -- about 20 miles a week -- and walks a lot. Plus, "I've cut most meat out of my diet."

His next adventure: Writing a book on happiness.

* For more information about Buettner, visit www.bluezones.com.

* For more information about the lecture series, visit www.yakimatownhall.com or call 509-966-0930.

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