About the BELONG Section

Belonging to the right group of healthy-minded, supportive people might be the most powerful thing you can do to change lifestyle for the better. In one study looking at the impact of marital status, ties with friends and relatives, club membership and level of volunteerism on how well older people aged, those with the most social connectedness tended to live longer.

On BlueZones.com, the BELONG section will get you thinking about associating with people who reinforce healthy, sustainable habits that will benefit you in the long run. There, you'll find articles on the impacts of social connectedness to longevity and tips on improving your interactions with family and friends.

How much can I gain?
People attending religion activities more than one time per week live longer by 3-4 years and have relative reduction in death by 34%. A meta-analysis of the 42 independent studies investigated the association of religious involvement and all-cause mortality and showed that people regular participating in the group religion activity had lower mortality by 29%1.
1. (McCullough ME, Hoyt WT, Larson DB, Koenig HG, Thoresen C. Religious involvement and mortality: a meta-analytic review. Health Psychol. 2000 May;19(3):211-22.)