CHT Members Gather to Recap Successful Year
November 06, 2009
Learn About Healthy Lifestyle “Blue Zones” Among Globe
NAPLES, Fla. – Nancy Desmond, President and CEO of the Center for Health Transformation, kicked off the “Leading Large Scale Change” summit in Naples today, outlining an achievement record that includes the top 12 highlights for the Center.
Among the Center’s finest accomplishments this year, Desmond reported, was the release of the book “Stop Paying the Crooks,” edited by Jim Frogue of CHT. Waste and fraud in Medicare and Medicaid has earned national media attention; including getting noticed by President Obama and members of Congress who have attempted to address the problem this fall.
Other highlights included CHT’s increased media visibility in print and broadcast media, its Alzheimer’s project, three national petition drives that drew more than 200,000 signatures asking Congress to consider initiatives such as posting health legislation before a vote. Other accomplishments were the six-step plan for health reform and bringing Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to CHT to launch and Food and Drug Administration transformation initiative.
“None, none, none of this could of have happened without you,” Desmond told the members attending the meeting at the Ritz Carlton hotel.
Ben Leedle, CEO of Healthways, introduced a truly engaging presenter, Dan Buettner, author of the book, “Blue Zones.” That book, which has been a best seller and been featured on Oprah Winfrey among other shows, focuses on a select number of communities where there is an unusual number of residents age 100 or older.
In the United States, life expectancy is 78 for males and 80 for females. Only one in 1,000 Americans reaches the age of 100, Buettner said.
But among 17 villages in Sardinia, off the coast of Italy and France, there is a population of 42,000 and an inordinate amount of men and women who live to be 100 years-old compared to residents of the United States. Their lifestyles are quite different: Sardinians are more family-oriented; they only eat meat on Sundays; men work primarily as shepherds and walk about six miles a day; and elderly citizens live at home with their younger children and grandchildren. The centenarians play an active role in their community by working in gardens, holding political posts, working security positions and helping others.
The only Blue Zone in the United States is in Lorma Linda, California. The vast majority of residents are Seventh Day Adventists who do not work from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the day of their Sabbath. They socialize primarily among themselves; practice diets centered on fruits and vegetables; and spend time practicing their spirituality. The life expectancy there is far above the U.S. average: 87 years for men compared to the U.S. average of 78; and 89 for women compared to the U.S. average of 80.
Other participants at the Naples event included a panel with Dr. Julie Gerberding, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control, Newt Gingrich, founder of CHT, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, the former FDA commissioner; and retired Army General Pete Taylor. They debated “The Art of Leading Large Scale Change: Lessons Learned.”
In the afternoon session, Fox News contributor Frank Luntz, President of Luntz Research Companies said latest polls show 65 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track; 74 percent believe their standard of living is on the wrong track; and 57 percent believe their children will inherit a lifestyle worse than one they experience in this nation.
To successfully influence health reform proposals before Congress, Luntz said the public should demand additional town hall meetings before House and Senate votes. He also said efforts should be made to protect the rights of those who have health insurance coverage. Stories should be promoted in the media illustrating the consequences of the proposals being debated in Congress. And the words “public option” should be dropped for the more accurate terms, “Washington takeover” and “government run” to describe the government-run programs.
On a more humorous note, polls overwhelmingly showed that Americans believe it is more likely that alien life forms would be discovered than Congress would create a health reform plan that would be deficit neutral.
The final presentation of the day was led by CHT Founder and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gingrich gave a wrap-up of the latest news to come out of the negotiations concerning health care negotiations on Capitol Hill, including news that the House is planning a vote for the health reform bill Saturday.
“The Senate will likely not vote on the issue until 2010,” he said.
Gingrich said that Speaker Pelosi’s insistence on a vote this week “borders on insanity” as many moderate Democrats do not want to vote on the bill in light of Tuesday’s elections in New Jersey and Virginia. He said Congress should slow down the process and listen to constituents.
“They are losing their argument for this in the country. You have to stop and listen. Voters hire politicians. Politicians don’t hire voters,” Gingrich said. “But the first thing you have to understand is this bill has nothing to do with healthcare. It has to do with power.”
