SINGAPORE: While Singapore was not listed among the five original “blue zones” around the world, it is considered a “blue zone 2.0.” Blue zones are the places around the world where people live longer and healthier lives. These areas were featured in the hit 2023 Netflix documentary “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.”
The five original blue zones are Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California, and according to a new CNBC piece, Singapore is the latest addition to the list.
Mr Dan Buettner, from whom the concept originated, was quoted on Mar 26 in CNBC as saying, “Singapore has … the highest health-adjusted life expectancy in the world. So whatever Singapore did, it worked at producing the longest, healthiest life on the planet.”
The article touts Singapore as “a small Southeast Asian country” that has “‘engineered’ a society that lives to 100,” and noted that Mr Buettner has called Singapore an “engineered longevity hotspot.”
It lists six factors that help the residents of Singapore live long and healthy lives, which are: Walk, don’t ride, Keep loved ones close, Sense of belonging, Opt for healthy habits, Accessible health care, and Strict laws.
For example, while the high price of owning a vehicle in Singapore has made headlines across the globe, for Mr Buettner, this is something to cheer.
“Singapore, I think is brilliantly taxing automobiles, taxing gasoline, taxing through the use of roads … and then invested hugely in walkability and bikeability and public transportation. That’s not just a coincidence, that is very good planning … as a result, you drive people out from behind the steering wheel, onto their feet,” he said.
The CNBC piece also praises the Proximity Housing Grant that gives people a financial incentive to stay close to family.
“The older people there — they stay engaged with the family. More often, they get better care from the family, so this is all favoring the life expectancy of older people,” said Mr Buettner.
The New York Times bestselling author also noted that in Singapore 258 of the 263 centenarians that he interviewed for Blue Zones research were members of a faith community, that healthy food is cheap and smoking is expensive.
As for healthcare, he noted that “The agenda of Lee Kuan Yew and his colleagues was different. They were trying to actually make sure people stayed healthy, rather than make money off of people.”
Finally, Mr Buettner praised the country’s strict laws, including those pertaining to guns and drugs, which have been responsible for numerous deaths in his home country, the United States. /TISG
Read also: Singapore named 6th “Blue Zone” region known for exceptional longevity