Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones

This is what happens when good intentions get distracted by a large ego. Facts are bundled together after which subjective conclusions are stretched way too far - all while falsely implying "a scientific seal of approval".

It's a shame. If kept on the "rhetorical straight and narrow" - "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones" - would have presented some interesting hypotheses alongside the possibility to believe there is a viable way forward, "believe" being the operative word. Dan Buettner's use of over-rhetoric throughout, likely, undermines most critical viewers ability to engage in his theories.

NetFlix' initial disclaimer "The following series is designed to entertain and inform - not to provide medical or health advice." is foreboding of what is about to follow. That sentence, pretty much indicates "the issues with this series"; it presents beliefs in a way that deceptively resemble facts. Beliefs are fine, if you want to adhere to them - but that should be by free choice not by implying factuality. If the disclaimer didn't give it away, the introduction provides further hints; "They all follow roughly the exact same formula".

The use of "roughly" and "exactly" as descriptive in the same sentence is fine example of what unfolds as a whole - blurryness. The "trick" that is being pulled is by means of an "old and proven recipe"; put forth a mulitude of facts, draw some uncorroborated conclusion and then wrap them up together, and present them as "sort of scientific".

Dan Buettner appears earnest in his beliefs - his attempts to package said beliefs in "an air of science" less so. He definitely comes across more as a preacher than a scientist. The frequently used over rhetoric doesn't naturally peg him in any part of the scientific community.

It's a shame... the subject being addressed is, arguably, important and the effort put in seemingly great. Much good work (and some bad) is done on a belief basis - it's a shame Buttner doesn't show it for what it is.

Change your environment and you change the people within it. These are concepts that most people know, but fail to put into practice. We have the power to live longer, happier and healthier lives, we just need to promote it and "nudge" each other forward, but backwards, with our public policy. Eat healthier, connect with each other, stay active and value our family members of all ages. It can be done. We will all be better for it.

Dan presents the case studies in the first 3 episodes and then the examples of how to duplicate them in the last one. It isn't difficult, we have to focus on the goal. What is good for all of us is good for all of us.

To be honest, one thing that quite annoyed me is the pretentious of being a scientifical documentary, there are few flaws for instance correlation does not equal to casualties, in addition the city that he uses as examples plenty of them that are really small bellow (50 thousands persons), and this is a problem due to the size of the sample. But disregarding this, it is impressive the amount of work that the author has done and how he seeks to connect these hypotheses on something practical, such as the project of "blue zones" that seeks to improve the life expectancy in a specific city.

Overral, the documentary is quite interesting the only caveat it isn't rigorous on being a scientific study.

It seems that at least one reviewer didn't catch that the blue zone in Okinawa isn't the whole island, rather just a small section, so his comparison to another researchers findings makes no sense. What is really interesting is that it apppears that each blue zone seems to have different habits that all lead to the same result: being healthy and living longer.

Anyway, this is an excellent short series that is well worth a watch. I am far more conscious of health issues than my husband is, but even he loved this documentary. I am a healthy eater, but he really is not, unless I force the issue. While neither of us necessarily wants to live to a hundred (or beyond), after watching this, he is interested in changing his diet, and that's a win for me!!

Well produced documentary which backs up other research such as active healthy life style, social belonging and community along with the importance of keeping stress levels low.

However nutritionally it's false- the guy pushes his own Vegan and vegetarian agenda, massively over emphasising that diet, claiming all the blue zones are primarily vegan/vegetarian!! The only one this is true for is the evangelical church community in America- ALL the others have meat and dairy in healthy portions as part of a well balanced diet. They do consume a lot of good healthy foods but overall less calories!

Meat and diary are not evil and not eating them will not guarantee you live longer.

Otherwise a good and interesting documentary- basically shaming the modern western world we live in that is stressful, lazy and lonely - it's those things that are killing us early.