The Peninsula Health Care District, in partnership with Blue Zones, the global leader in longevity research and community well-being transformation, will officially launch a major new health initiative for San Mateo County with a public kickoff event Tuesday, April 7, at the College of San Mateo Theater.
This event marks the beginning of the Blue Zones Ignite assessment, a first-of-its-kind effort in the region to evaluate and improve the conditions that support longer, healthier lives for more than 200,000 residents served by PHCD.
“We are excited to bring Blue Zones Ignite to San Mateo County and spark meaningful conversations that lead to action,” Ana M. Pulido, CEO of PHCD, said in a press release. “By engaging residents and leaders across sectors, we can gain a deeper understanding of the real barriers to health, longevity and connectedness — and make informed, long-term decisions that strengthen well-being at both the neighborhood and regional levels.”
Key partners in the effort include the Health Plan of San Mateo, Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, the San Mateo County Health Foundation, and representatives from the cities of Burlingame and San Mateo, and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
The Blue Zones approach is based on research by National Geographic Fellow and bestselling author Dan Buettner, identifying regions of the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Rather than focusing solely on individual behavior, Blue Zones works with communities to reshape environments — making healthy choices easier through changes to infrastructure, policy, and social systems.
Established in 1947, the Peninsula Health Care District is a public agency serving 200,000 residents across San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Foster City and parts of South San Francisco. PHCD provides community-based health programs and partners with local organizations to enhance access to care, wellness and resources.
The April 7 event is the community’s first opportunity to learn about the initiative. It will take place 5-7:30 p.m. at the College of San Mateo Theater, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd., go to bluezonesignitesanmateokeynote.eventbrite.com to register.
So where are examples of Blue Zones making a positive impact? Are there any? We can’t be the first Blue Zone (though to be fair, the entire state is considered a blue zone and we know that hasn’t worked out too well). And how much taxpayer money is being used to fund this social engineering experiment and what is our return on investment? If no taxpayer money is being used, go for it.
So glad they are bringing this to San Mateo County! The Blue Zones outcomes are amazing in terms of mental health benefits, weight loss, community-building, reduced health care expenses. This will be great for the whole community and will get people moving, out in nature, and more connected to their neighbors. From their website: The Blue Zones Project has expanded to more than 70 communities across North America, impacting more than 4.35 million citizens. Our work has produced double-digit drops in obesity, smoking, and body mass index, among other health and well-being improvements.
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So where are examples of Blue Zones making a positive impact? Are there any? We can’t be the first Blue Zone (though to be fair, the entire state is considered a blue zone and we know that hasn’t worked out too well). And how much taxpayer money is being used to fund this social engineering experiment and what is our return on investment? If no taxpayer money is being used, go for it.
So glad they are bringing this to San Mateo County! The Blue Zones outcomes are amazing in terms of mental health benefits, weight loss, community-building, reduced health care expenses. This will be great for the whole community and will get people moving, out in nature, and more connected to their neighbors. From their website: The Blue Zones Project has expanded to more than 70 communities across North America, impacting more than 4.35 million citizens. Our work has produced double-digit drops in obesity, smoking, and body mass index, among other health and well-being improvements.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.