Toward the Healthy City....

UC Berkeley Prof. Jason Corburn has written a new and exciting book about the failed relationship between most American cities and the provision of healthy surroundings for residents. He cites the dire lack of planning between all types of agencies with input into the physical (and social) environment to align their efforts with the promotion of healthy living and healthy behaviors by constituents. The result: Sicker people and declining cities. The book is a call to arms that it is time to start planning collectively, across disciplines and institutions, to understand the social determinants of behavior and to make sure that we are all working in concert to promote better lifestyle and healthy behavior choices, regardless of one's status. I've written a comment on his blog. Check it all out.

Retrofitting Neighborhoods for the Rest of Your Life

I’ve just returned from Atlanta to kick off an exciting new assignment. I’ll be serving as the health and wellness advisor on a new project spearheaded by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ), a renowned architectural and planning firm that specializes in pedestrian-friendly, neighborhood-based urban design. The team also includes Susan Brecht of Brecht Associates, who is a national leader in the senior housing industry and a market research expert. We will be taking a close look at the growing problems associated with suburban sprawl and working hard to help create compelling solutions by retrofitting existing communities to address a variety of pressing demographic and economic trends. By focusing on the natural benefits of walkable neighborhoods, we hope to transform particular suburban (and urban) areas into healthy, lifelong communities where people of all ages can prosper across the lifespan. Send us your comments and be sure to stay tuned for updates.

Aging Happily or with Restrictions? You Decide.

In a New York Times column, "The Meaning of Life," author Roger Cohen provides a thought-provoking look into recent primate research suggesting that severe caloric restriction (up to 1/3 customary intake) may (I repeat, MAY) significantly alter longevity, at least for certain monkeys. Are we up to it? You decide!

Aging Options and Building Teams

A colleague and I recently presented at the Environments for Aging Conference ’09 (http://www.environmentsforaging.com/ME2/Default.asp), held in Boston. This was one of the first conferences I’ve attended where there was a huge spectrum of different professions, from geriatricians to architects to senior service providers to landscape designers. Yet, all had a shared focus: How to achieve a better quality of life as we age.

I heard a lot of compelling speakers. Some of the most interesting, however, touched at some point on two issues: First, the professions (including service providers) need to get out of their individual silos and work together as creative, interdisciplinary TEAMS in looking for aging “solutions.” Only in this way will we be available to develop some really innovative ideas about how to create new models for healthful communities and neighborhoods at all stages of life, especially as we age. Second, as in some of the healthcare discussions at large, there was strong recognition for the growing role of the individual consumer’s (or customer’s) preferences for care and other resources, including housing. People, thankfully, are no longer simply regarded as “patients” but seen as more active participants or partners in the management and quality of their own life course. This gives all of us a strong reminder to listen closely to our audience, no matter what their age or condition.

On the other hand, there was still an awful lot of use of the term “Seniors.” I still don’t know what that means or who, exactly, fits into that. It still seems like you get there only by default, with no choice. With more and more people living well into their 90’s, we’ve seen new “official” classifications like the “Young Elderly” and “Old Elderly” emerge. I can’t say I like those any better. And despite everything, the last time a Senior was cool that I can recall was in High School or College – nothing after!

Any ideas on what naming works, and the impact it can have?

Welcome to BluePond Wellness!

This is a blog about health, wellness, and where and how we live our lives. Although much of our focus is on aging well, our real passion is uncovering how to more easily bring wellness and fitness into the “built environment,” or the places where we routinely live, work and play. So in that respect, our discussion is open to everyone – from young people and young families to octogenarians, all wondering about what’s out there to help us live better, longer, and with less hassle in this crazy, fast-paced, fragmented age.

We cover a range of topics, from latest trends in communities for healthy living to retirement to managing life with various health and fitness challenges. We’re constantly on the lookout for the best new products, services, and locations that we think offer the opportunity to live better and well for the long-run, whether it’s nutritional advice, the coolest new “green” neighborhoods or developments, where to go to age gracefully, or the neatest new tech gadget for helping you lose weight, walk more, or help you and your kids (or parents) get those extra pounds off, for good!

Join in the discussion. We want to hear your views, your ideas, and any concepts or resources we don’t know about, so we can pass the word along. And together build a healthy community-at-large.