PETALUMA, Calif., Could 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Wholesome Petaluma District and Basis (Wholesome Petaluma) and the Metropolis of Petaluma announce the launch of a city-wide Blue Zones Challenge to assist residents dwell higher, longer lives. Blue Zones Challenge is a complete initiative that helps communities rework their environments to assist wholesome life and to measurably enhance neighborhood well-being, resilience, and financial vitality.
Blue Zones Challenge is a first-of-its-kind inhabitants well being initiative primarily based on analysis and rules developed by Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder and Nationwide Geographic Fellow and Explorer who recognized the cultures of the world—or blue zones—with the healthiest, longest-living populations.
Wholesome Petaluma funded the preliminary Blue Zones Activate evaluation, partaking the participation and collaboration of the Metropolis of Petaluma and over 100 neighborhood companions. Throughout that point, the Blue Zones group did a deep dive into the town to find out if it was possible to launch a community-wide initiative.
The ensuing in-depth readiness evaluation discovered that, regardless of trending more healthy than the nationwide common, Petaluma shows room for enchancment. In line with Gallup findings included within the report, one out of two Petaluma residents are chubby or overweight, two out of three are fighting their well being, and two out of 5 expertise common monetary stress. These and different key reviews of well-being confirmed the district’s understanding that there are rising disparities amongst residents, notably in youth, bodily, and psychological well-being. Blue Zones Challenge Petaluma will open doorways for the neighborhood to prioritize and sort out points at coverage, environmental, and social ranges.
“We’re thrilled to hitch forces with Wholesome Petaluma to launch Blue Zones Challenge Petaluma,” stated Mayor Kevin McDonnell. “This initiative aligns completely with our values as a neighborhood, and we’re excited to work inside our huge community of neighborhood partnerships and residents to make Petaluma a more healthy, happier, and extra related place to dwell.”
Analysis reveals that the place folks dwell has an even bigger affect on their well being than their genetics, so Blue Zones Challenge focuses on the Life Radius®—the realm near house the place folks spend 90% of their lives. Blue Zones Challenge communities optimize public insurance policies, social connections, and the locations and areas the place folks spend probably the most time (streets, parks, faculties, workplaces, grocery shops, religion communities, houses) to assist make wholesome selections simple and extra accessible to all. Taking part communities have seen double-digit drops in weight problems and smoking charges, financial funding in downtown corridors, grant funding awards to assist insurance policies and packages to enhance well being fairness, and measurable financial savings in healthcare prices, amongst different optimistic outcomes.
“Launching Blue Zones Challenge Petaluma is an thrilling milestone for Wholesome Petaluma as we additional our mission to enhance the well being and well-being of southern Sonoma County,” stated Ramona Religion, CEO of Wholesome Petaluma. “After studying concerning the Blue Zones mannequin years in the past and talking with different communities which have engaged Blue Zones, we pursued efforts to have interaction their group right here in Petaluma, beginning with a extremely profitable Blue Zones Evaluation final 12 months. We, together with a coalition of neighborhood companions, imagine this system’s evidence-based method is a superb match to measurably enhance Petaluma’s well-being, resilience, and financial vitality, notably after the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. We look ahead to the optimistic outcomes that this initiative will carry.”
The launch of Blue Zones Challenge represents the start of a multi-year collaborative effort that entails all the neighborhood working collectively towards one widespread objective – to assist and construct a tradition of neighborhood well being and well-being. The native implementation group started the 9-month basis and planning part in April and a kickoff occasion will happen early subsequent 12 months. Discover extra details about the Blue Zones Challenge Petaluma by clicking right here.
Ben Leedle, CEO of Blue Zones and co-founder of Blue Zones Challenge, stated: “We commend the leaders in Petaluma which have invested in creating an surroundings and tradition of well-being that may profit present and future generations of residents. Larger well-being means more healthy and happier residents, boosted financial vitality, and decrease healthcare prices. Our group appears to be like ahead to serving to Petaluma flourish and function a mannequin for different communities to comply with.”
About Blue Zones Challenge®
Blue Zones Challenge® is a community-led well-being enchancment initiative designed to make wholesome selections simpler by everlasting modifications to a metropolis’s surroundings, coverage, and social networks. Blue Zones Challenge is predicated on analysis by Dan Buettner, a Nationwide Geographic Fellow and New York Instances best-selling writer who recognized 5 cultures of the world—or blue zones —with the best focus of individuals dwelling to 100 years or older. Blue Zones Challenge incorporates Buettner’s findings and works with cities to implement insurance policies and packages that may transfer a neighborhood towards optimum well being and well-being. Blue Zones launched the primary pilot neighborhood in 2009 in Albert Lea, MN with groundbreaking outcomes. Immediately and likewise in partnership with Sharecare, the mannequin has since been utilized to greater than 75 communities in america. Taking part communities have skilled double-digit drops in weight problems and tobacco use and have saved hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in healthcare prices. For extra info, go to bluezones.com.
About Wholesome Petaluma District and Basis
Previously the Petaluma Well being Care District, Wholesome Petaluma District and Basis is a community-owned and -operated company comprising a particular district and a 501(c)(3) basis devoted to enhancing the well being and well-being of southern Sonoma County by management, advocacy, assist, partnerships and schooling. Its imaginative and prescient is to foster a more healthy neighborhood and equitable entry to complete well being and wellness providers. The district has ensured entry to native acute care and emergency providers and has served southern Sonoma County’s well being and wellness wants since 1946. For extra info, go to healthypetaluma.org.
Contact:
Naomi Imatome-Yun, Blue Zones
naomi@bluezones.com
917.952.8534
Rebecca Ellecamp / Melinda Hepp
[email protected] / [email protected]
707.971.0242 / 415.717.4624
SOURCE Blue Zones
