This small Southeast Asian country has created a society that lives up to 100 years old – here’s how | Business

“Singapore has created the longest and healthiest lives on the planet,” Dan Buettner, who coined the term “blue zones,” told CNBC.

Blue zones are places where the per capita population of centenarians is 10 times higher than in the United States.

in 2004 Buettner has teamed up with National Geographic and the National Institute on Aging to try to reverse engineer longevity. The team identified parts of the world where people lived significantly longer, then tried to figure out why people lived longer in those communities.

Power nine

D. Buettner and his team identified the “power 9” – the main factors that reflect the habits of the world’s healthiest and longest-living people.

The nine principles are: natural movement in everyday life; goal pursuit; following a routine to reduce stress; stop eating when 80% full; food of plant origin; moderate alcohol consumption; being part of a community; maintenance of loved ones; to be surrounded by people with healthy habits.

Here are some of the health factors included in Singapore’s policy structure.

Walk, not drive

In many parts of the world, people go from one place to another by car, but in Singapore, the majority of residents walk, but usually not for physical activity, but out of necessity.

“I think Singapore has done a great job of taxing cars, gas, road use … and investing heavily in walkability, cycling and public transportation,” Buettner told CNBC.

Buying a car in Singapore requires obtaining a car permit first – the COE or Certificate of Entitlement can cost more than the car itself.

In comparison, in March according to data, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is priced at S$209,888 (about US$155,800) in Singapore. In the US, its price is lower – 28,855 US dollars.

Keep loved ones close

Research shows that people living in the “blue zone” tend to prioritize their loved ones and keep them close.

This can be seen in Singapore’s policy, the so-called Proximity Housing Grantwhich financially encourages people to live with or near their parents and children.

“Instead of putting old people in nursing homes, as is done in the United States, in Singapore they stay with family.” More often than not, they receive better care from family, so all of this has a positive effect on the life expectancy of older people,” Buettner said.

A sense of belonging

A study found that belonging to a community of faith may be associated with longer life expectancy.

According to Buettner, “all but five of the 263 centenarians surveyed belonged to some faith community.” “Research shows that attending religious services four times a month increases life expectancy by 4-14 years.”

According to the Pew Research Center, almost 80 percent of Singaporean adults are religious. In addition, in 2014 A Pew study ranked the city-state as the most religiously diverse country in the world.

Choose healthy habits

Singapore has succeeded in making “healthy food cheaper and more accessible than unhealthy food,” Buettner said. The country has created incentives for food establishments to provide healthier options.

The Health Promotion Council encourages healthier food choices, such as brown rice and whole grains. The Ministry of Health has also developed a labeling system that allows residents to see which food stalls have healthier options.

In addition, smoking has become “complicated, unattractive and expensive,” D. Buettner said.

Affordable health care

Singaporeans enjoy universal healthcare, which means residents have access to quality medical services, including prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. The government has been trying to create policies that subsidize health care costs.

Strict laws

Singapore is famous for its strict laws. Popular examples are bans on chewing gum or heavy fines for eating on public transport.

However, the country is also known to be very strict on guns and drugs. Either of these two offenses is punishable by imprisonment, flogging, or death.

“The fact that guns are banned in Singapore … in terms of life expectancy, it’s a very smart policy. In the United States of America, we lose about 55,000 people every year due to gun deaths, Singapore – about three,” D. Buettner compared.

“Draconian drug laws – that’s something we should pay attention to.” Last year, the United States lost more than 100,000 people to drug-related deaths, while Singapore lost about 20, he added.