Change the town, Change your life

Vitality Project!!

Step 1) Pick a town in America (small to medium size)
Step 2) Give the town or brainstorm ideas of how to live a healthier life style
Step 3) Do it!

End Result: Longer life

Dan Buettner, the author of The Blue Zones non-profit group organized a "vitality project" where he and other researchers from University of Minnesota and the entire town Dan chose in Minnesota rebuilt a "new" and healthy town over one summer. The town built new gardens, repaved sidewalks, and labeled names of foods in the market. Small changes in the environment, lifestyle, and group motivation literally helped improve and create a healthy, vitality rich culture in this one small town in Minnesota.

I've come across research about the relationship between the environment and aging/well-being which conjecture the exact results Dan Buettner received in his experiment. It's amazing how small changes truly make a huge difference, as cliche as that might sound. The town as a whole became more health conscious, established a popular culture, and lifted the spirit of young and old to live a healthier life. Maybe we should start a Stanford Vitality Project. yes?