EDITORIAL: Thinking 'Blue" for the community's health

May 06--Doctors and dreamers alike have embarked on quests of body and mind for the mythological Fountain of Youth, seemingly since the beginning of human time.

Count the people behind the Blue Zones Project among them. And they might be onto something with their desire to find the elusive secret to longer life, although the answer -- as always -- is right under our noses (and with the spring seemingly, finally here, let's hope those noses aren't sniffling because of a cold).

This project is the brainchild of Dan Buettner and team, who set out for various spots in the world to discover the secrets of longevity in areas where people live the longest.

And what did they find? Active, elderly people who eat right, stay active, spend time with family and friends, practice faith and spirituality -- all the things we know we're supposed to do, but don't always do.

So why is this any different? Consider it a nudge -- a well-organized, community-oriented nudge in the right direction for not only you, but everyone around you.

Public health is a priority in Ontario County, so that the county and city of Canandaigua are pursuing this is understandable and desirable. In fact, Ontario County Public Health's mission, according to its recently released 2017 annual report: "Demonstrate excellence in public health to achieve better health, an improved healthcare system and lower per capita healthcare costs in our community."

The goal is a lofty one, and this is a way to help achieve it.

And the county has some things to work on when it comes to the health and safety of its residents, and the scourge of opioid and heroin addiction is getting lots of attention.

The courts, law enforcement and groups of local heroes dedicated to the treatment of addicts are working to rid the streets of the problem. But licking this serious health issue requires a communitywide effort -- and Blue Zones may instill healthy habits in enough folks so that addiction doesn't become as much of a problem in the future as it is today.

Beyond bringing the Blue Zones concept here, this county always has taken public health to heart -- and put corrective plans in action.

Not too long ago, statistics associated with smoking -- numbers of people with diseases such as cancer caused by smoking and chewing tobacco products -- trended higher than normal when compared with other counties in New York.

To bring those numbers down, the county began an education campaign to inform residents of the dangers and offered programs to help kick the habit. Ontario County and Canandaigua city government enacted smoking bans for county and city properties.

A similar push is currently underway in educating folks about ways to prevent tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease, which also is on the rise here.

The Blue Zones project -- which if approved, would be the first such area in the Northeast -- is ambitious, kind of a full-court-press approach to community health. A Blue Zones team met up with local people to identify needs and talk about ways to develop healthful policies.

These policies can run the gamut from walkable communities, to making fruits and veggies more accessible, to smoking cessation, among others.

A report with recommendations is due in the next 30 to 45 days, according to Canandaigua Mayor Ellen Polimeni, who is among those instrumental in bringing the team here.

The approach is not meant to be a big brother looking over your shoulder to mandate personal health. Instead, this allows for personal choice -- and, as Polimeni says, the community itself can decide if it can or wants to follow the recommendations or not.

And, as senior reporter Julie Sherwood reported a week ago, they seem to work.

Since 2010, a Blue Zone community in Beach Cities, California, saw a 14 percent reduction in obesity and smoking was snuffed out by 30 percent.

Health-care claims fell 49 percent in Albert Lea, Minnesota, while life expectancy increased by three years.

Obviously, this requires buy-in not only by government, but also businesses and citizens. That's why it was encouraging that many in the private sector decided to take part in these community meetings a week ago in hopes of replicating success stories here.

And if the thought of better health doesn't do it, perhaps the money side of a healthier community will: Several communities received healthy-sized grants to institute public-health changes -- many coming from businesses and health organizations with skin in the game.

And the county's agricultural operations also would benefit by eating healthier foods -- and that drives the local economy.

Besides, if you had the opportunity to have your life expectancy increased by a few years and your health-care costs decline, wouldn't you try?

Shouldn't you?

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