the isolation that is a destructive companion of growing old by remaining engaged , defined as having a support network of friends (and family) and having meaning and purpose in life . When I speak on this topic, I think about our ancestors and I routinely add being part of a community as an essential component of being engaged in life.
A growing consensus
These findings were not that surprising. We only have to look back at our roots as a species, or even to our own lives when we were most healthy and fulfilled, to recognize these common characteristics. This has been reinforced by the recent discovery of “Blue Zones,” five locations in the world where populations live significantly longer and with less disease than the rest of the world. Dan Buettner, in his November 2005 National Geographic article, “Secrets of Longevity,” and in his book The Blue Zones , 4 discussed areas of the world where extreme longevity is much more common than other societies, including areas of Okinawa, Sardinia, Costa Rica, and Greece. Comparing the MacArthur Study findings, the Blue Zone characteristics, and the traits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, we see surprising commonality. We are forced to consider that it is not serendipity that our recent research findings on successful aging are remarkably similar to thecommon traits of Blue Zone longevity populations, which in turn parallel characteristics of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Might these common traits be our core needs for health and successful aging? Might these characteristics be somehow absolutes for us as humans? Authentic needs?
The following lists compare the lifestyles of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, the MacArthur Study recommendations, and Buettner’s description of characteristics of Blue Zone inhabitants:
Hunter-gatherer characteristics
highly physical
strong social connection
strong sense of place/purpose
diet based on plants, fruits, nuts, fish, occasional meat/limited overall calories/obesity rare
little chronic stress
MacArthur Study characteristics for successful aging
physical and mental activity
social connection
purpose
control of risks
Blue Zone characteristics 5
importance of family
no smoking
plant-based diet/frequent legumes
constant moderate physical activity
social engagement
low chronic stress
This comparison demonstrates the enormous importance of the MacArthur Study. For the first time on a large scale, we understood aging as a multifactorial process that is largely under our control. It’s not that we could substantially change the maximum lifespan of humans (that is basically determined by our uniquely human DNA), but we could influence how we aged, how long we remain vital, independent, and being all we can be. With this knowledge as a springboard, aging research exploded, drivenby changed expectations, demographics, and, for many of the studies, the shock value of the outcomes. New findings began to come at us rapid-fire, and it was all good news.
We’ve learned that our brains are not the static organs we’ve been taught they were but instead are dynamic and alterable, with a robust potential for rewiring, growth, and healing. We are, in fact, the architects of our brains. We’ve learned that physical exercise is beneficial way beyond our muscles, heart, and lungs. In fact, movement stimulates production of what my friend Dr. David Gobble calls Miracle-Gro for our brain—BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor—as well as other neurotransmitters that positively affect our mood, sleep, and outlook and significantly reduce the risk of many types of cancer. We’ve learned that social connection with other humans, and to some extent with animals, has a positive effect on our immune system and offers protection against heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, and depression. We’ve learned the devastating effects of the stress generated by a way of life we now consider normal but which is dramatically different from what we need in
A growing consensus
These findings were not that surprising. We only have to look back at our roots as a species, or even to our own lives when we were most healthy and fulfilled, to recognize these common characteristics. This has been reinforced by the recent discovery of “Blue Zones,” five locations in the world where populations live significantly longer and with less disease than the rest of the world. Dan Buettner, in his November 2005 National Geographic article, “Secrets of Longevity,” and in his book The Blue Zones , 4 discussed areas of the world where extreme longevity is much more common than other societies, including areas of Okinawa, Sardinia, Costa Rica, and Greece. Comparing the MacArthur Study findings, the Blue Zone characteristics, and the traits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, we see surprising commonality. We are forced to consider that it is not serendipity that our recent research findings on successful aging are remarkably similar to thecommon traits of Blue Zone longevity populations, which in turn parallel characteristics of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Might these common traits be our core needs for health and successful aging? Might these characteristics be somehow absolutes for us as humans? Authentic needs?
The following lists compare the lifestyles of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, the MacArthur Study recommendations, and Buettner’s description of characteristics of Blue Zone inhabitants:
Hunter-gatherer characteristics
highly physical
strong social connection
strong sense of place/purpose
diet based on plants, fruits, nuts, fish, occasional meat/limited overall calories/obesity rare
little chronic stress
MacArthur Study characteristics for successful aging
physical and mental activity
social connection
purpose
control of risks
Blue Zone characteristics 5
importance of family
no smoking
plant-based diet/frequent legumes
constant moderate physical activity
social engagement
low chronic stress
This comparison demonstrates the enormous importance of the MacArthur Study. For the first time on a large scale, we understood aging as a multifactorial process that is largely under our control. It’s not that we could substantially change the maximum lifespan of humans (that is basically determined by our uniquely human DNA), but we could influence how we aged, how long we remain vital, independent, and being all we can be. With this knowledge as a springboard, aging research exploded, drivenby changed expectations, demographics, and, for many of the studies, the shock value of the outcomes. New findings began to come at us rapid-fire, and it was all good news.
We’ve learned that our brains are not the static organs we’ve been taught they were but instead are dynamic and alterable, with a robust potential for rewiring, growth, and healing. We are, in fact, the architects of our brains. We’ve learned that physical exercise is beneficial way beyond our muscles, heart, and lungs. In fact, movement stimulates production of what my friend Dr. David Gobble calls Miracle-Gro for our brain—BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor—as well as other neurotransmitters that positively affect our mood, sleep, and outlook and significantly reduce the risk of many types of cancer. We’ve learned that social connection with other humans, and to some extent with animals, has a positive effect on our immune system and offers protection against heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, and depression. We’ve learned the devastating effects of the stress generated by a way of life we now consider normal but which is dramatically different from what we need in
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