The most recently reviewed data by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has determined the average overall life expectancy in the United States to be 76.4 years. With a startling gap of 23.6 years from centenarian status, individuals aged 100 or above, one has to wonder why some people live so much longer than others. 2019 data places the global average life expectancy at 73.4. If humans are capable of living past the age of 100, why are so many not? What questions should we be asking? Author Dan Buettner, along with a team of accomplished scientists and researchers, seeks to investigate this line of thinking through the development of and continued work on the concept of Blue Zones — geographic spots where individuals seem to generally live long enough to become centenarians. Buettner’s team emphasizes nine key contributory principles relating to the health or the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity of investigated individuals/communities.
Are we, as living beings, responsible to each other? The most overarching theme backing the Blue Zones’ principles is connection, from interpersonal relations to relationships with one’s environment. Members of declared Blue Zones volunteer in their communities, regularly catch up with their neighbors, and garden and tend to their natural environments. As part of the Blue Zones Project, Buettner and his team tested their findings, intending to improve the overall health of a city in Minnesota called Albert Lea. The team worked with the local government and various community members and businesses to create more gardens, increase walkability for citizens, and educate the city on diet improvements. Through these efforts, the overall life expectancy of Albert Lea increased. Although not affiliated with the Blue Zone project, Hong Kong is and has been a leading city in terms of longevity, with 2022 data putting the life expectancy for males at 80.7 years and for females at 86.8 years. A key factor identified as pertaining to Hong Kong’s longevity is the access all of its citizens — particularly its elderly citizens — have to society and their community. This trend, along with some of the theories of the Blue Zone Project, suggests a correlation between a connected community and longer lifespans.
Are we responsible for our environment? The U.N., for the first time, released a report in February of 2024, citing a notable decline in population values of migratory species. Some examples of migratory species discussed in the report are monarch butterflies, certain gorilla species, and many birds. An objective look into the role these species play in human life reveals their significant contributions to balancing ecosystems, generating income from tourism and professions relating to said species, and, occasionally, serving as a food source. The primary risk factor for these species is human activity, ranging from unsustainable agriculture that wipes out habitats and man-made pollution that reduces air and water quality to infrastructure like roads and dams that hinder animal movement. These same factors play a role in human quality of life. For example, the same infrastructure that inhibits animal movement also inhibits human movement. When it comes to creating overall thriving environments, actions like reducing pollution and increasing walkability may be mutually beneficial to humans and migratory species.
What level of responsibility do government actions have on public health? An example of a recent legislative policy pertaining to health can be observed in Florida. In 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed an immigration policy into law, part of which requires hospitals receiving Medicaid backing to ask their patients about immigration status. Medicaid is a government program established in 1965 funding healthcare for qualified persons living below the poverty level and/or who have disabilities. There are many community and political perspectives on this policy, with supporters believing it will assist in their political goals of securing borders and opponents concerned with migrants’ willingness to seek healthcare. It ultimately stands to reason that a direct result of this policy is many individuals avoiding hospitals and medical facilities for fear of detainment or deportation. Results of that avoidance, then, will likely include a decline in health outcomes for those individuals as well as the communities they are a part of. This is arguably a commission of health inequality. Sociological analyses understand public health inequality as being perpetuated by disparities in resources, power, and income. These disparities do not serve the public in terms of health outcomes and are often tied up with government action or inaction.
