Town Goal: Increase Lifespan by 10,000 Years

By Mary Beth Sammons

It was a pioneering goal: Take a mid-sized, Midwestern town and inject its 18,000 residents with a dose of healthy eating and living to add 10,000 years of life to the residents. The idea was simple: ban the Ho-Ho's and Mountain Dew, toss the remote controls and substitute some simple practices -- like planting a garden, forgoing fries for fruit and adding walking into the daily routine.

The five-month longevity makeover, which started on a sub-zero January 2009 day in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and ended in mid-October, is called the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, and was sponsored by a $750,000 grant from the United Health Foundation, according to ABC News. This project takes the "it takes a village" concept to the next level, pooh-poohing the idea that diet and exercise alone can help people get healthy. Instead, it's based on the belief that it takes the transformation of an entire community to make a difference.

Click on the video below to see how town residents added years to their lives. Story continues below video.

The project was spearheaded by Minneapolis author Dan Buettner, who wrote a book and an article for "National Geographic," chronicling lifestyles of people in four "blue zone" areas around the world with large numbers of centenarians -- Okinawa, Sardinia, a peninsula in Costa Rica and Loma Linda, Calif.

"It sparked an entire health movement," says Cathy Ventura-Merkel, senior vice-president for AARP Publications, based in Washington, D.C. "It was a spreading fire that caught on. The challenge was a tough one -- to change the health habits of a whole community, not just individuals, and to change the environment around them."

The results: program directors estimate that the 9,000-plus residents -- half the town"s population -- who participated in the experiment will add an average of 3.1 years to their lives.

All over the town habits changed. Truck stops and eateries added fruits and vegetables in place of fries to their menus. Companies, such as Lou-Rich Machines, added a quarter-mile walking course to its production floor. More than 35 other companies also pledged to make workplaces more healthful, instituting wellness committees, adding healthy snacks and examining smoking policies.

More than 150 residents volunteered for the program and groups helped plant 40 new community gardens. Almost 1,000 people took a career seminar called "Finding Your Purpose." Over 10 weeks, 550 adults joined 70 new neighborhood or workplace walking "moais", an Okinawan word meaning small social group, recording 75,115,599 steps. That's 1.5 times around the Earth. Now, they are forming "moais" for cycling, dancing and dog walking. One group is rallying dog walkers to walk dogs from a local shelter.

Another key aspect of the lifestyle makeover was the community building and the social connectedness component designed to attack isolation, which is often a crippling factor in poor health, adds AARP"s Ventura-Merkel.

"People started meeting neighbors they never knew, walking, connecting with each other and talking about food choices, " she says. "They are changing their lives."

Click through the gallery below to learn about how these centenarians lived to 100. Note: Please disable pop-up blocker.

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How They Lived to 100, In Their Own Words

Courtesy of AdlerCentenarians.org

Long-Life Tips from Centenarians

Jack Borden, 101, of Weatherford, Tex.
Jack Borden can be tough to get a hold of. He's an on-the-move country lawyer who goes to the office every day. When asked about his centenarian status, he simply attributes it to "not dying."

Where he got his outlook on life
I had the best parents in the world. We were poor people, but they always said, "We're as good as anybody. You look everyone in the eye, and you treat everyone the way you want to be treated." I'm also very active in my church. I've been an usher at that church for 40 or 50 years. I tell the guy I do it with that I'll take all the hugs from the ladies and he can shake all the hands of the men.

His advice for living a long and successful life
There's an old saying -- if you have one friend, you're a millionaire. I'm worth more than the national debt. And if you have a desire and you have the determination, there's not any limit to where you can go.

Courtesy of AdlerCentenarians.org

What his diet is like
Growing up in the country, you ate good old wholesome food. It was all you had. I ate what I wanted but I didn't overeat. Today, I eat three times a day. I have honey on one side of a biscuit and gravy and sausage and a tomato juice on the other half. That's my breakfast almost every morning.

Why he didn't retire
Forty years ago, my doctor said you have to stop working [because my blood pressure was going to kill me]. He said, "You can do probate and real estate law." So I did that instead of beating myself up trying lawsuits in court. Now I work at least 40 hours a week. There are a lot of people who depend on me. I'm just sitting here, and the good Lord has left me to do whatever I need to do.

How he's stayed active over the years
When I was in college I played football, basketball and other sports. I like to fish. This year I'm going to Red River, New Mexico to fish. For 55 years, my wife and I went fishing. We were married 66 years. After she died I started going back. The Red River has trout fishing, and that's my love.

Courtesy of AdlerCentenarians.org

Nicholas Pierro, 100, Medford, Mass.
Born in Italy, Nicholas Pierro came to the U.S. at 11 without knowing any English. He says he's not worried about dying, because he already died once while suffering from pneumonia as a child, floating toward a white light before coming back to his body. He thinks the secret to a long life is a little more mundane: Pay attention to your intestines.

What is your diet like?
I used to go home every day after work and [the town where I lived] used to have a drugstore where you could get any kind of soda. They would make me orange juice and castor oil to keep me moving right. You've got about 25 feet of intestines, you have to keep those moving -- they're the lifeline of your body. [Editor's note: The small intestine is approximately 22 feet long.] I eat well, too.

Courtesy of Boston University Medical Center

What are your hobbies?
Reading was never my cup of tea, because my eyes would get tired. I did like to play poker and gin rummy. I used to enjoy gardening. And no matter where I went, I'd landscape the whole thing. That gave me a lot of pleasure. Now, I'm doing the best I can with what I got. I can only see a little with one eye. I go down to the park and watch the kids play around and listen to music. Mostly anything with a piano sounds good to me.

What is your advice for living past 100?
If you have peace of mind early in life, everything will work out to your advantage. If I didn't have the money for something, I didn't buy it. If I wanted something, I'd be saving until I had enough for what I wanted to get. That's the best medicine there is.

Courtesy of Boston University Medical Center

Dr. Will Miles Clark, 105, Tucson, Ariz.
Dr. Clark is one half of a very rare twosome. Both he and his wife, Lois, are centenarians, and they have been married 76 years. A retired dentist, he still drives around in his Toyota Sienna. When he's not out and about, he's at home, using the Internet to plan their next vacation.

Are there any drawbacks to reaching 100?
I don't like people who say, "I don't care how good a driver you are, you're too old to drive."

What is your advice for living past 100?
You can't be too uptight. You have to just take things as they come, because you can't do anything about it anyway. And it helps to be a little thrifty so you don't worry about money all the time.

What do you and your wife eat?
All our lives we never did diet -- we ate a good general diet. We eat everything. People down here always say, "You guys have such a good appetite!" and we've never been fussy. Don't eat this or that -- we just eat everything.

Courtesy of AdlerCentenarians.org

How have you stayed active throughout your life?
I was always active, in particular, by riding horses. I started to play golf when I was 52. My son was a good teacher, and he worked and worked and worked with me, and I started shooting my age [when your age matches your golf score] when I was 75. I've issued him a challenge -- and he hasn't shot his age yet.

What are your hobbies?
I painted for 10 years, and then I got bored. I read all the time. I always have a book going. And we keep in touch with a lot of people. My wife is always busy with bridge and she belongs to the Philanthropic Educational Organization club.

Are you still learning new things?
I got a computer on August 17, 2009. I had never even turned one of these things on before. I got it with a few lessons and the instructor has got me doing everything. There's a lot to learn. I haven't taken typing for 90 years. It's coming back to me. It's like riding a bike.

Courtesy of AdlerCentenarians.org

Elsa Hoffmann, 101, Hillsboro Beach, Fla.
Elsa is turning 102 on October 11, 2009, a birthday she says will be "a thrilling one!" When she's not shopping or explaining to first-graders that she did not go to a one-room schoolhouse, she's stepping out for dinner or playing bridge, and maybe even sipping on a stinger.

What's your secret for enjoying life?
I try to make people happy, and when things come up that seem a little discouraging, I always try to find a light -- something that will help overcome it. Several times I've been called a Pollyanna, and I say, "Well, if I am, I'm proud of it." I live every day grateful that I'm here and that I can be useful.

What is your diet like?
I've always been conscious of my food -- very little fried food, lots of fruit.

How have you stayed active throughout your life?
I've always played golf. When I was 86 I had both of my knees replaced, and four months later I took up golf again and had the best golf game of my life! Just about two months ago I turned in my car. Even though I feel capable I can drive, I didn't want to be in the position where someone said, "We don't want to, but we have to take your keys."

What are your hobbies?
I'm out almost every day. My main activity is playing cards -- gin and bridge -- and going out for dinner. When they need a higher score, my teammates say, "Elsa we need you!"

Have things changed since turning 100?
I never told people how old I was before -- but I started when I was 100, and everyone is in awe. The light shines from their faces. I just feel so grateful for relating my wonderful years. I'm almost as active now as I ever was.

Richmond "Dick" Day, 101, Grand Forks, N.D.
He's served as an officer in the Navy, moved around the U.S., and almost moved to Iceland at one point in his life. Dick Day has traveled the world throughout his life, finding beauty and fascination in every nook and cranny of the globe.

What is your diet like?
I try not to overeat. I don't have any one thing I especially go for. I like anything that's edible. When I'm in a foreign country, I'll just put my finger on the menu and point. The only thing I don't like is turkey soup.

What is your advice for living past 100?
I never had a vitamin until I was almost 100. Now, I take one day at a time. And that's the main thing.

How have you stayed active throughout your life?
I used to do a little figure skating, a lot of mountain climbing and a little skiing, but I wasn't into any particular sport. Now, the only thing I do is volunteer. We have the University of North Dakota nearby, and we can sign up to let the medical students come over here and practice and ask us a million questions

Are there any drawbacks to reaching 100?
The only thing I don't like about it is that since I retired from the workforce, my legs retired but I didn't.

How has traveling throughout your life impacted your worldview?
I've been to more than 80 countries. I've been to the Arctic and Antarctica. I don't care where you go in the world, there's always something nice to see. There's something beautiful to see everywhere.

Courtesy of Kristie E. Wolff

Nancy Blubaugh, 101, Pittsfield, Mass.
When Nancy Blubaugh graduated from Skidmore College, her father told her she was ready to learn a few more things. So Nancy went to graduate school, a feat she didn't see as unusual for the time, although she was one of only a few girls in her biology department at Brown University. She deems her education a success. Not only did she go into a career in bacteriology, she also met her husband in the classroom.

What is your advice for living past 100?
Just go from day to day. You get up in the morning, and you have a day to fill, and that's about it.

What is your diet like?
I cook for myself, naturally. I cook whatever falls out of the refrigerator. I usually have a sandwich and a cup of tea for lunch. Dinner is something simple.

What are your hobbies?
I don't have any exercise routine, per se. I do a few chores in the morning. I have no trouble getting around. I do a lot of quilting. I play solitaire on the computer.

Do you still try new things?
One of my grandsons took me out on a motorcycle ride not so long ago. I said, "Oh, that'd be fun," and he appeared. We just went along the block. And he's a fireman, you see, so when I turned 100 he had me ride in the fire truck.

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