The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) has achieved certification as a Blue Zones Worksite after five years of concerted effort. The Blue Zones program is an initiative run by the Hawaii Medical Services Association (HMSA).
The project's primary focus is on policy change, building design, social networks, and other elements of the built environment to effect positive changes within a community. When DCCA initiated the project, it conducted four focus groups and a department-wide survey to identify areas where well-being could be enhanced. Upon identification, volunteers took charge of organizing and leading worksite wellness initiatives ranging from physical activity to healthy food policies, team building exercises, and weekly Lunch and Learn workshops, according to a Jan. 10 news release from Gov. Josh Green’s website.
"Reaching this Blue Zones certification level was challenging, but DCCA embraced the transformation. The department’s commitment to employee well-being is the reason we’re able to celebrate this certification today," said Gordon Ito, insurance commissioner, in the same news release.
The Blue Zones Project comprises nine specific tenets: moving naturally; having a sense of purpose; downshifting stress; consuming more plant-based foods; living by the 80% rule (the Okinawan 2,500-year-old Confucian mantra recited before meals); belonging to a community; indulging in quality social time with or without 1-2 glasses of wine per day; putting family first; and creating positive social networks, according to the project's website.
Several communities in Hawaii are part of the Blue Zones Project. These include East Hawaii, North Hawaii, West Hawaii, Central Maui, Kapolei-Ewa, Koolaupoko – Manoa-Makiki-McCully-Moiliili (or MMMM), and Wahiawa. Each community has launched initiatives aimed at improving their members' wellbeing.
"The certification is not just a milestone; it’s a testament to the power of collective well-being," said Sean Kinilau, who played a significant role in the DCCA's Blue Zones initiative, according to another news release from Gov. Josh Green's office.