It’s time for Erie County to join the Blue Zones Project
Where do people live the happiest, the healthiest and the longest?
How do they eat? What is their outlook? What is unique about their overall lifestyle? Do they have superior access to care? Do they have access to the best doctors on the planet?
Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zones Project, traveled around the world to find these answers. What he discovered was a remarkably simple approach: They have found a way to help people enjoy longer, healthier, happier lives by making the healthy choice the easy choice.
In short, our environment can naturally lead us in the prevention of diseases occurring in the first place.
What does that mean, exactly, especially when the world has taken such a hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is it possible to create this type of happy, healthy environment here in Erie County?
Corry Blue Zones:Pandemic hasn’t stopped Corry Blue Zones work
Over the past year, we have seen the importance of solid public health policy and how it affects the health, safety and vibrancy of our community.
The Blue Zones Project by Sharecare vastly improves health outcomes for residents by focusing on people, environment and policy.
We know this approach is possible — and effective — because great strides have already taken place in the areas of community health and wellness in Corry through the Blue Zones Project. In the past two years, several hundred individuals have heard the Blue Zones story and have taken a personal pledge to improve their well-being.
Corry school:Corry school designated as Blue Zones approved
Corry residents now have access to walking groups, purpose workshops, more extensive healthy food choices at restaurants and grocery stores and tobacco cessation classes.
Since its public launch, Blue Zones Project Corry has accomplished several milestones, including:
• Work sites such as Corry Memorial Hospital, Corry Counseling Services, YMCA, D&E Machining and Corry Area School District working with Blue Zones Project to improve employee well-being;
• Rails-to-trails kiosk dedicated in collaboration with the community and Blue Zones Project;
• Blue Zones Project Corry partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania and the Salvation Army to help 120 households in Corry, providing roughly 300 people with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and other perishable items.
A Blue Zones-approved manufacturer said they were interested in the project because of how it could distinguish them from other employers. In time, they witnessed employees choose healthier options from the vending machine, and they have planted herb and flower gardens outside of their building. The Blue Zones Project allowed them to build camaraderie among staff — everyone has input; everyone can make a contribution.
Some of the best practices a primary school implemented include a board that highlights Blue Zones Power Nine lifestyle principles and the incorporation of more physical activity, nutrition education and mindfulness in the classroom, and they created a student-led ambassador group that helps promote healthy messaging to fellow students.
Making the healthy choice the easy choice involves the entire community recognizing the changing landscape of health in our country. It requires us to be open-minded to new conditions in which all people can be healthy.
One engagement committee member said she discovered her blood pressure had increased, so she started taking blood pressure medication. Then she found out her cholesterol level was very high, so she eliminated butter from her diet, increased her legume and whole grains intake and cut out dairy and processed foods. She began volunteering in her community. She started taking the stairs and walking daily. Six months later, she’d dropped 48 pounds and lost 50 points off her cholesterol, and is now off blood pressure medication.
Recently, the County of Erie’s workplace designation as a Blue Zones Project Approved™ worksite won a 2021 National Association of Counties Achievement Award. This designation involves implementing best practices to improve and support Erie County government employees’ well-being.
The healthy changes made by employees in county government and the residents of Corry will ultimately affect the health of the community as a whole.
Currently, 61 communities across North America have joined Blue Zones Project, impacting more than 4.4 million citizens.
The mission of Erie County is to provide a safe, healthy and vibrant environment for our residents while promoting justice and equity in the community we serve.
Never before has it been more evident how critical our health and safety are to our economy, our relationships and our ability to thrive.
We are innovatively engaging community partners to expand the Blue Zones Project beyond Corry into all of Erie County and to witness similar success.
In order for this expansion to take place, we need to work together.
We are grateful to our community partners who have supported the Blue Zones Project with generous investments already. But it takes more than monetary giving. It takes commitment. It takes an objective mindset. It takes you.
Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper and Corry Mayor David Mitchell
