Heywood Healthcare Hosts Blue Zones Presentation on the Secrets to Longer, Healthier Lives

GARDNER, Mass. - May 18, 2016 - PRLog -- On Thursday, May 12, Heywood Healthcare hosted Tony Buettner of Blue Zones®, where he shared global research focusing on the nine essential lifestyle elements of people in areas with high rates of longevity. His presentation was followed by a Q&A session on the potential to implement those strategies in our region.

This free community event, hosted at The Quabbin Retreat in Petersham, brought in a group of 75 local leaders and residents. Refreshments were served, including several appetizers from the Blue Zones web site and book.

In 2004, Tony's brother and business partner, Dan Buettner, teamed with National Geographic and the world's best longevity researchers to identify pockets around the world where people live measurably longer and better. In these "Blue Zones" they found that people reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States. After identifying five of the world's Blue Zones, Dan and National Geographic took teams of scientists to each location to identify lifestyle characteristics that might explain longevity. They found that the lifestyles of all Blue Zones residents shared nine specific characteristics, referred to as the Power 9®.

Dan's subsequent book, The Blue Zones, hit the New York Times best-seller list and took Blue Zones everywhere from Oprah to TED to Bill Clinton's Health Matters Initiative. The success prompted a new challenge: could we improve health and longevity in the US?

In 2009, Blue Zones partnered with AARP and the United Health Foundation to integrate the Power 9 principles into the Albert Lea, MN community. It worked: after just one year, participants added an estimated 2.9 years to their average lifespan while healthcare claims for city workers dropped 49%. Harvard's Walter Willett called the results 'stunning'.

For more information on Blue Zones, please visit https://www.bluezones.com.

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About Athol Hospital
A member of the Heywood Healthcare system, Athol Hospital is a 25-bed non-profit, acute care and outpatient facility serving the communities of the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts. Athol Hospital's services include 24/7 Emergency Care, Oncology, Radiology and Laboratory, Diabetes Center and Center for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation. It is designated as a Critical Access Hospital and Primary Stroke Center, licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and accredited by the Joint Commission.

About Heywood Hospital
A member of the Heywood Healthcare system, Heywood Hospital is a 134-bed acute care hospital in Gardner, MA, which provides a broad range of high quality medical, surgical, obstetrical, pediatric and behavioral health services on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The hospital's Centers of Excellence include the Watkins Center for Emergency and Acute Care; the LaChance Maternity Center; the Diabetes Center; and the Heywood Heart and Vascular Center, an affiliate of the Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence at UMass Memorial Health Care.

About Heywood Healthcare
Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned healthcare system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. It is comprised of Heywood Hospital, a non-profit, 134-bed acute-care hospital in Gardner, MA; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed not-for-profit, Critical Access Hospital in Athol, MA; Heywood Medical Group with primary care physicians and specialists located throughout the region. The organization includes five satellite facilities in MA; Heywood Rehabilitation Center in Gardner;  West River Health Center in Orange;  Winchendon Health Center and Murdock School-based Health Center in Winchendon; Heywood Charitable Foundation;  the North Quabbin Community Coalition, an affiliate organization;  and upcoming in 2016, The Quabbin Retreat in Petersham.