Poster Session 3, 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A83]

Obesity, Longevity, and Community Health: A Comparative Analysis of BMI-Patterns in Selected Blue Zones and Massachusetts

Presenter: Jonas Leon Leon Tejada Helbic

Faculty Sponsor: Maria C. Carles

School: Northern Essex Community College

Research Area: Public Health and Epidemiology

ABSTRACT

Geographically distinct communities identified as Blue Zones demonstrate unusually high life expectancy and consistently low prevalence of obesity and chronic disease. This study evaluates whether adult obesity levels, measured by body mass index (BMI), in three well-documented Blue Zone regions: Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), and the Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica)—differ substantially from those observed in Massachusetts, and examines how structural lifestyle patterns in these regions may inform community-level obesity prevention strategies.

Using a comparative epidemiological framework, this study synthesizes peer-reviewed findings from Blue Zone cohorts and analyzes publicly available Massachusetts obesity data derived from Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Recent BRFSS data indicate that Massachusetts adult obesity prevalence ranges from approximately 27 to 29 percent. In contrast, published data from older Okinawan cohorts document obesity prevalence below 10 percent, with mean BMI values within the normal range. This reflects a gap exceeding 18 percent— relative difference greater than threefold in population-level obesity prevalence. Although cohort composition and reporting methodologies vary, the magnitude of disparity remains substantial.

Higher life expectancy municipalities within Massachusetts also exhibit lower obesity prevalence than state averages, suggesting that intra-state structural variation parallels patterns observed in Blue Zone populations. While causality cannot be established, the scale of these differences indicates that environmental conditions—including habitual physical activity and supportive food systems—may influence population-level BMI outcomes. By positioning BMI-defined obesity as a modifiable population risk marker, this study demonstrates how comparative epidemiological analysis can translate global longevity research into targeted, evidence-informed public health intervention.