Dr Saul Newman is one of the winners of this year’s Ig Noble Prize – a satiric prize awarded each year to celebrate unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. (Not to be confused with the Nobel Prize.)
As a postdoctoral researcher at the Australian National University, Dr Newman wanted to learn more about the so-called ‘blue zones’ – places where people have reportedly lived long and healthy lives, well into their old age.
Places that have been included on the list of blue zones include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda in California.
These places have been celebrated for their relatively high number of centenarians – individuals whose longevity, according to blue zone advocates, is due to certain lifestyle factors common to those regions – like physical activity, community connection, and diets rich in fruits and vegetables.
But according to Dr Newman’s research, the above-average number of centenarians in blue zones is not due to these factors, but more likely a result of lousy record-keeping – clerical errors, a lack of birth certificates, even pension fraud.
It turns out, people in wealthier regions still have a significantly higher overall life expectancy than those in regions[1] where people have less access to things like health care, social support, community and financial security.
So, despite all the hype, blue zones may not actually exist. But the marketing around them has certainly sold more than a few books, recipes, food products, meal planners, retreats, skin care products, apparel, and accessories …
That’s not to say ditch the healthy habits, though.
“If you are happy, and if you eat well, and if you have a good social life, and therefore a good outlook on life, you’re going to live a long time,” says Dr Newman. “The problem is that you’re not necessarily going to live past 110. And you don’t need to study these ‘extraordinary populations’ to find any of this out.”
You can read more about Dr Newman’s research at:
You can find summary of other 2024 Ig Noble Prize winners at:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/09/meet-the-winners-of-the-2024-ig-nobel-prizes/
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[1] The costs of inequality: Money = quality health care = longer life. (2016) published in The Harvard Gazette, available online at: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/04/for-life-expectancy-money-matters/#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20published%20in%20the%20Journal%20of,even%20the%20poor%20living%20longer%20in%20wealthy%20areas.)
