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Dan Buettner

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Dan Buettner
Buettner in October 2010
Born (1960-06-18) June 18, 1960 (age 64)[1]
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States[1]
NationalityAmerican
Occupations

Dan Buettner (born June 18, 1960) is an American author, explorer, storyteller, longevity researcher and public speaker.[2][3] He co-produced the 3 time Emmy Award winning[4] documentary TV mini series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (2023) based on his book of the same name and holds three Guinness records for distance cycling.[5][6] Buettner is the founder of Blue Zones, LLC. He is a National Geographic Fellow.[7]

Buettner is a promoter of plant-based diets from his research on blue zones and has authored numerous books on the subject.[8][9][10][11]

Biography

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Buettner was born on June 18, 1960, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.[1] Buettner graduated with a BA in Spanish and Literature from the University of St. Thomas in 1983.[12]

Soon thereafter he went to work for The Washington Post columnist Remar Sutton. Later he took a job with National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., to recruit celebrity participation in a fund-raising croquet tournament with journalist George Plimpton of Paris Review.[13]

In 1986, Buettner launched the first of several Guinness World Records for transcontinental cycling.[14] "Americastrek" traversed 15,536 miles (25,003 km), from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; the 1990 "Sovietrek", where Dan was joined by his brother Steve,[15] followed the 45th parallel around the world and covered 12,888 miles (20,741 km), as Buettner recounted the trip in his book Sovietrek.[full citation needed] In 1992, in "Africatrek", the Buettner brothers team-cycled from Bizerte, Tunisia, to Cape Agulhas, South Africa, with cyclist Dr. Chip Thomas, covering 11,885 miles (19,127 km) over eight months.[citation needed]

National Geographic Collaborations

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When Buettner realized that adults were also following his expeditions, he approached National Geographic with the idea to research longevity hotspots and was given support to move forward.[citation needed] He then met with Robert Kane,[citation needed] as of 2016 the Director, Center on Aging, at the University of Minnesota,[16] who introduced him to demographers and scientists at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Washington, D.C.[citation needed] Buettner was awarded a grant from the National Institute of Aging.[citation needed] Previous research identified the longevity hotspots of Sardinia, Okinawa, and Loma Linda.[citation needed]

In 2003, Buettner began leading trips to these destinations while collaborating with a variety of experts, including anthropologists, historians, dietitians, and geneticists. His early trips focused on Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Monterrey, Nuevo Leon; and then Loma Linda, California.[17]

Buettner reported on communities with increased longevity, identified as a blue zone, in his cover story for National Geographic Magazine's November 2005 edition, "Secrets of Long Life."[18]

In 2006, under aegis of National Geographic, Buettner collaborated with Michel Poulain and Costa Rican demographer Dr. Luis Rosero-Bixby to identify a fourth longevity hotspot in the Nicoya Peninsula. In 2008, again working with Poulain, he found a fifth longevity hotspot on the Greek Island of Ikaria.[citation needed] In April 2008, Buettner released a book on his findings, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest, through National Geographic Books which resulted in interviews for Buettner on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and Anderson Cooper 360.[citation needed]

In October 2010, he released the book Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way, largely based on research taking a data-based approach to identify the statistically happiest regions of the happiest countries on Earth.[according to whom?] He argues that creating lasting happiness is only achievable through optimizing the social and physical environments.[19]

In April 2015, Buettner published The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People, which listed Ikaria (in Greece), Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Loma Linda (California), and Costa Rica as the places with top longevity.[20] It became a New York Times Best Seller.[21] The book was featured on the cover of Parade, and Buettner was interviewed extensively on national media.[citation needed]

In 2019, Buettner and National Geographic photographer David McLain revisited all of the Blue Zones to study diet; based on this, Buettner and McLain wrote The Blue Zones Kitchen.[full citation needed][citation needed]

Blue zones

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The concept of the blue zones was originally developed by Michel Poulain Professor Emeritus at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium who is demographer and world expert in studies of longevity who proposed five of the six so-called blue zones.[22] Given the importance of the discovery, the Blue Zones concept early on in its development, attracted the attention, and support, of Buettner.

By 2003, Buettner formed a marketing company and trademarked [23] the name Blue Zones®.[24] In 2020, Blue Zones® LLC was acquired by Adventist Health.[25]

AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project

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In 2008, inspired by Finland's North Karelia Project,[26][third-party source needed] Buettner designed a plan to apply his Blue Zones principles to an American town.[citation needed] He auditioned five cities and chose Albert Lea, Minnesota, for the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, where he believed the key to success involved focusing on the ecology of health—creating a healthy environment rather than relying on individual behaviors.[citation needed]

Walter Willett, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, found the results[clarification needed] "stunning".[27] As a whole, the community showed an 80% increase in walking and biking; 49% decrease in city worker's healthcare claims, and 4% reduction in smoking.[citation needed] The community shed 12,000 pounds, walked 75 million steps, and added three years to their average life expectancy.[citation needed] City officials reported a 40% drop in health care costs.[citation needed]

In 2010, Buettner partnered with Healthways, a global health and well-being company, to scale the Blue Zones city work under the rubric of Blue Zones Projects.[28][third-party source needed] The Blue Zones Project team partnered with Beach Cities Health District in Southern California to apply Blue Zone principles to three California communities—Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach. Their work occasioned the lowering of BMI by 14% and smoking by 30%, as well as increasing healthy eating and exercise.[29]

In 2011, the Blue Zones Project joined forces with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield to deliver the Blue Zones Project across the State of Iowa as the cornerstone of the Governor's Healthiest State Initiative and is at work in 18 cities there to effect change.[citation needed] In 2013, projects began in Fort Worth, Texas, and in Hawaii.[where?][30][31][third-party source needed]

In 2014, work began in Naples, Florida; South Bend, Indiana; and Klamath Falls, Oregon.[28][third-party source needed] In 2018, Klamath Falls was recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) as the "Culture of Health" prize winner[32]

Documentary TV mini series

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In 2023, Buettner co-produced and featured in a TV mini series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.[33]

Public speaking

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  • Bill Clinton's Global Initiative, 2013[34]
  • Google Zeitgeist, 2012[35]
  • TEDxTC 2009 (Minneapolis/St. Paul), independently organized TED event.[36][37] Buettner gave a TED talk on his work sponsored by the National Geographic entitled "How to live to be 100+", which, as of 18 May 2024 had over 4.7 million views.[38]

Personal life

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Buettner and American model Cheryl Tiegs ended a relationship on January 1, 2009.[39] Buettner described his own diet as "98% plant-based".[11]

Bibliography

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  • Buettner, Dan (1994). Sovietrek: A Journey by Bicycle Across Russia. Lerner Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8225-2950-5.
  • Buettner, Dan (1996). Maya Quest: Interactive Expedition. Douglas Mason (illustrator). Onion Press. ISBN 0-9640334-2-9.
  • Buettner, Dan (1997). Africatrek: A Journey by Bicycle Through Africa. Lerner Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8225-2951-3.
  • Buettner, Dan. (February 25, 2002) Scary Canoe Stories. The Rake.
  • Buettner, Dan (2008). The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4262-0274-2.
  • Buettner, Dan (2010). Thrive. Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4262-0818-8.
  • Buettner, Dan (2012). The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1426209482.
  • Buettner, Dan (2015). The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1426211928.
  • Buettner, Dan (May 2015) Want Great Longevity and Health? It Takes a Village. "The secrets of the world's longest-lived people include community, family, exercise and plenty of beans." The Wall Street Journal
  • Buettner, Dan, (2017). The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World's Happiest People. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic ISBN 978-1-4262-1848-4.
  • Buettner, Dan (2019). The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. ISBN 978-1426220135.
  • Buettner, Dan (2021). The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer Better Life. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1426221941.
  • Buettner, Dan (2023). The Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1426223471.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Diamond, Jed (2023). "Adopting a Blue Zones Way of Life: What You Need to Do To Survive The Challenges We Face Today". MenAlive. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Harvey, Kay (2008). "Explorer taps world's secrets of longevity". MinnPost. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024.
  3. ^ Shea, Kitty (2022). "Exploring Dan Buettner". Archived from the original on August 19, 2022.
  4. ^ "MakeMake". MakeMake. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  5. ^ Moniuszko, Sara (2023). "Want to live to 100? "Blue Zones" expert shares longevity lessons in new Netflix series". CBS News. Archived from the original on August 30, 2023.
  6. ^ https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/buettner-dan [bare URL]
  7. ^ "Blue Zones author to speak at WVU". WVUToday. 2017. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023.
  8. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (2015). "My Dinner With Longevity Expert Dan Buettner (No Kale Required)". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Landsverk, Gabby (2023). "Researcher Dan Buettner gave up meat forever after hearing a doctor describe what it does to arteries". Business Insider.
  10. ^ Buettner, Dan (2020). "'Ensure that your diet is 90% to 100% plant-based': 9 food rules from the world's longest-living people". CNBC.
  11. ^ a b Onque, Renée (2024). "I've studied 100-year-olds and longevity habits for 20 years: What I eat every day". CNBC.
  12. ^ "Adventurer Dan Buettner to address First Friday luncheon Oct. 6". St. Thomas Newsroom. 30 November 1999. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  13. ^ Carlyle, Erin (February 3, 2010). "Dan Buettner's Blue Zones Teach Nine Secrets of a Longer Life". City Pages. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015.
  14. ^ The Guinness book of records 1994. Guinness publishing. 1993. p. 563. ISBN 9780851127729.
  15. ^ Sutton, Remar (1990-04-09). "Sovietrek Hits the Road". Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  16. ^ "Faculty Expertise in Aging and Long-Term Care". Sph.umn.edu. 2013-12-17. Archived from the original on 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2016-07-27.[better source needed]
  17. ^ Potter, Ned. (January 18, 2007). Finding the keys to longevity. ABC News. Accessed September 14, 2007.[full citation needed]
  18. ^ Buettner, D. (Nov. 2005) "On Assignment—The Secret of Longevity," National Geographic, Accessed September 14, 2007.[full citation needed]
  19. ^ name="Denmark">NPR Staff (November 28, 2010). "How To 'Thrive': Dan Buettner's Secrets Of Happiness". NPR - Weekend Edition.
  20. ^ Buettner, Dan (April 1, 2015). "New Book: Secrets to Long Life". National Geographic Traveler. National Geographic.
  21. ^ "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous Books - Best Sellers - Books - April 26, 2015 - the New York Times". The New York Times.
  22. ^ "The 5 Longevity Blue Zones". 10 February 2023.
  23. ^ "Founder's Statement".
  24. ^ Alexa Mikhail (2023). A look inside America's only blue zone city—home to some of the world's longest-living people. https://fortune.com/well/2023/04/02/longevity-tips-loma-linda-california-blue-zone-city/
  25. ^ "Adventist Health acquires community health planning venture". bizjournals.
  26. ^ Buettner, Dan. "The Finnish Town That Went on a Diet." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 07 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 June 2015.
  27. ^ Underwood, Anne. "How Public Policy Can Prevent Heart Disease." NewsWeek. NewsWeek, 2 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 June 2015.
  28. ^ a b "Blue Zones Project". Communities.bluezonesproject.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  29. ^ "Blue Zones Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach health initiative". Easyreadernews.com. November 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  30. ^ "Blue Zones Project - Fort Worth". Fortworth.bluezonesproject.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  31. ^ "Blue Zones Project - Hawaii". Hawaii.bluezonesproject.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  32. ^ "2018 RWJF culture of health prize winner". Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 18 September 2018. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  33. ^ https://www.npr.org/2023/09/14/1199429444/netflix-series-travels-the-worlds-blue-zones-where-longevity-rules [bare URL]
  34. ^ "Press Release: President Clinton Announces Program for Second Annual Health Matters Conference". Clinton Foundation. 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  35. ^ "The World We Build- Dan Buettner Zeitgeist *Americas 2012". YouTube. 2012-10-16. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  36. ^ "Dan Buettner | Speaker | TED".
  37. ^ "TEDxTC | TED".
  38. ^ https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_buettner_how_to_live_to_be_100 [bare URL]
  39. ^ "Turns out, Tiegs and Buettner now live in Splitsville - StarTribune.com". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-07-25. Retrieved 2017-06-10.

Further reading

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[edit]
  • Official website (BlueZones)
  • BlueZones Facebook
  • Dan Buettner talks about Sovietrek and his other adventures with anthropologist Jack Weatherford, in Northern Lights Minnesota Author Interview TV Series, #347 (1995): [1]
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