(WHNT) – Journalist Dan Buettner, best known for his study of Blue Zones – “hotspots” around the world where people live statistically longest – is sharing more in his new book. 

In “The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons from the Healthiest Places on Earth,” Buettner provides updates on the populations known for their super-agers in the five original Blue Zones – people who elude heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and stay sharp brains until the end – as well as his Blue Zones Project across the United States. 

Two decades of worldwide research, five books and a groundbreaking national wellness project later, Buettner returned to his original five blue zones in Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula; Loma Linda, California; and Sardinia, Italy, to harvest the latest longevity insights. 

Buettner unpacks how a small country added 25 years to their life expectancy and has become one of the healthiest spots on the planet, deep-diving into city, state and federal policymakers, as well as individuals. 

He also explores what he calls “Blue Zone 2.0,” which is the first “intentionally manufactured” blue zone. 

Results include double-digit drops in obesity, smoking, and BMI, significant gains in life satisfaction and hundreds of millions of dollars of savings in healthcare costs. 

You can watch the video above for the full interview.