Few people relate Singapore with health and longevity. And yet Blue Zones founder, Dan Buetnerr, did exactly this when he labelled Singapore as a Blue Zone version 2. Can this bustling, high density, SE Asian metropolis be a centre of health and wellbeing? Home to happy, healthy and long living people?
As in developed country Singapore has its fair share of the stresses of modern life and chronic illness. The incidence of type 2 diabetes particularly high, mental health issues have also been highlighted as an area of concern. And yet longevity we have. Now the emphasis is on healthspan, bringing quality to the final decade of life for the elderly and generations to follow.
As ever, please talk to your doctor or medical practitioner most familiar with your medical history before implementing any changes in diet, exercise or lifestyle, especially if you are under treatment. Links to any supporting studies or resources are shared at the end of page.
In this article we bring together our findings on Singapore as a Blue Zone, from national health strategy to the dining table. If you have your own findings, please feel free to share them at the end of page.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
What did Buettner's announcement actually say and what did people think of it?
On a local level discover how the government has engineered Blue Zone wellbeing in neighbourhoods across the island...
Singapore is renowned for its food, but not necessarily for healthy food. A 2018 study shows that healthy eating is a tradition for some...
Around the world, outside of the Blue Zones, weight gain and obesity are behind many of the chronic illnesses. Here we explore the challenges and factors behind weight gain, and loss, in Singapore...
Singapore has specific challenges with chronic illness, diabetes is one area affected by food and the genetics of Singapores's multi-ethnic population...
Chinese philosophy and Blue Zone lifestyle practices share common features. Learn more more about "Yangsheng" here...
Blue Zone Sardinia has it's minestrone soup (Buettner's cookbook provides not 1 but 3 recipes!) and most Blue Zones inhabitants enjoy a coffee or 2. Singapore has it own parallels, from the hawker table to our much beloved kopitiams - coffee shops.
But what is we are all simply wrong about Blue Zones? There are some that say that they don't exist, that the data is incorrect, even fabricated...
Finally, if you want to learn about Blue Zones and Blue Zone living in Buettner's own words, read on...
For most people, improving health is about finding motivation and prioritising self-care with an ultimate goal of taking action. If you want to take effective and targeted steps that fit into your unique lifestyle, The Whole Health Practice is here to help. Whether your interest is healthspan and longevity, to beat chronic illness or enhance your overall well-being, our consultations and programs deliver results that are tailored to your needs.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Related Resources
Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: Lessons From the World's Longest Lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;10(5):318-321. doi: 10.1177/1559827616637066. PMID: 30202288; PMCID: PMC6125071.
Pes GM, Dore MP, Tsofliou F, Poulain M. Diet and longevity in the Blue Zones: A set-and-forget issue? Maturitas. 2022 Oct;164:31-37. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2022.06.004. Epub 2022 Jun 29. PMID: 35780634.
Ungvari Z, Fazekas-Pongor V, Csiszar A, Kunutsor SK. The multifaceted benefits of walking for healthy aging: from Blue Zones to molecular mechanisms. Geroscience. 2023 Dec;45(6):3211-3239. doi: 10.1007/s11357-023-00873-8. Epub 2023 Jul 26. PMID: 37495893; PMCID: PMC10643563.
Marston, Hannah R., Kelly Niles-Yokum, and Paula Alexandra Silva. 2021. "A Commentary on Blue Zones®: A Critical Review of Age-Friendly Environments in the 21st Century and Beyond" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 2: 837. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020837
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