Dan Buettner

Only 10% of our life expectancy is decided by our genes. The other 90% is based on our environment.
But what makes for an environment where we live longer?

Dan Buettner, world-renowned explorer and writer for National Geographic, works on finding and understanding Blue Zones – the areas where people live the longest, healthiest lives. His articles about these places in The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic are two of the most popular for both publications.

Dan has done so much more than just writing about these Blue zones. In 2010, he partnered with Healthways a global health and well-being company to start a well-being initiative called the Blue Zones Projects which takes inspiration from the lessons learnt by observing how things are done in the Blue Zones. These Blue Zones Projects are being implemented in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies. The Blue Zones Projects focus on changing local environment, public policy, and social networks, and have improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date.

For those that aren’t lucky enough to get to be part of the Blue Zones Projects, there’s no need to worry. Dan Buettner is, after all, the New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way and The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People. His newly released book, Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From The World’s Happiest People reveals the surprising secrets of the world’s happiest places—and shows how we can all apply the lessons of true happiness to our lives.

Dan is an engaging and experienced speaker, having appeared on The Today Show, Oprah, NBC Nightly News, and Good Morning America. He has also keynoted speeches at the National Academies of the Sciences, World Economic Forum, Aspen Ideas Fest, Bill Clinton’s Health Matters Initiative, and Google Zeitgeist. His TED talk has garnered over 3 million views, and that might just mean another 3 million people who will live healthier lives.