Healthy aging is a hot topic. By 2060, almost a quarter of the U.S. population will be age
65 or older. Whether you're concerned about
weight gain, sex drive or chronic diseases, the key to healthy aging is a
healthy lifestyle. Eating a variety of nutritious foods, practicing portion
control and including physical activity in your daily routine can go a long way
toward promoting healthy aging.
A study by Yale University Professor of Public Health and
Psychology Becca Levy, Ph.D., found that believing in myths about aging —
useless, helpless, loss of value — can in fact have a negative impact on your
longevity. But replacing those negative age stereotypes with positive
perceptions about aging — wisdom, self-realization, satisfaction and vitality —
resulted in a nearly eight-year increase in average lifespan. So looking at the
myths and realities of aging to change how you see growing older can greatly
impact your overall health and wellness.
This month we will
look at some of the more common myths about aging, and what you can do to avoid
becoming a stereotype.
We will also look at
what DOESN’T work! If an interest in healthy aging leads you to consider
anti-aging therapies — such as restrictive diets, supplements or expensive
treatments claiming to postpone or even reverse the aging process — be
cautious. There's no quick fix when it comes to healthy aging. Know what you're
buying, and know how to spot suspicious schemes. Often, anti-aging therapies
don't live up to the claims.
