Need to create Blue Zones for elderly in India
Hitting a century is a special event, not only in cricket but also in the life span. Only a few in the world are centenarians(living over 100 years), while most just live over 73 years on an average. It is intriguing that while development in medical science has augmented longevity, the modern lifestyle that has emerged, is limiting human life span. Unexpected early deaths and onset of chronic diseases is becoming a norm among cultures across the world, says Deepika Kant Singh, working with the Indian School of Business. She specialises in Sociology of Health and Ageing.
“It was in the 1970s that scouts from the National Geographic found few “longevity hotspots” which had high concentration of people having above average age profiles. Later in early 2000s, a systemic program was launched that aimed to identify all of the world’s longest-living people. Interestingly common denominators emerged out of these research expeditions. The researchers thus identified “BLUE ZONES”; certain regions/groups in the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives. “People in the Blue Zones have a higher-than-usual number of centenarians and experience remarkably low rates of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer”, says Deepika.
Originally five Blue Zones spread across different continents, each with its unique cultural practices but sharing strikingly similar lifestyle patterns were identified. These regions include Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece) and Loma Linda (California, USA). Predominantly plant-based diet; physical activity; community/social connections etc came into sight as common factors promoting longevity.
Drawing inspiration from the traditional Blue Zones, Singapore has emerged as one of the happiest and healthiest countries in the world. Singaporeans boast of the best healthcare system with one of the highest life expectancy of 86.7 years and lowest rate of cardiovascular mortality. Notably, the number of centenarians living in Singapore has doubled in the past decade.
In contrast, Indian cities face the challenges of pollution, unplanned urban growth and a rising tide of lifestyle diseases. Despite our rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted traditions of wellness through ayurveda, yoga and plant-based diets, we have been gravitating towards the seductive American urban lifestyle. This McDonaldization of our society symbolised by nuclearisation of households, increased consumption of processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, work-life imbalance have contributed to an alarming rise in obesity, diabetes and heart diseases.
“Creating a culture of longevity in India will require reimagining urban spaces, emphasising active living, strengthening community bonds, promoting preventive healthcare and returning to indigenous wellness traditions. Indian city planners can and must learn from Singapore to reverse this trend of ill-health that is shortening life spans.
Cities like Chandigarh show promise but most others lack not just infrastructure, but the vision and planning needed for transformation. The blueprint exists. It’s time Indian cities drew from it to engineer their own future “Blue Zones,” she says.
Punjab