Looking Forward to Longevity

Health Habits Matter

Baby boomers continue to be a phenomena worthy of study. We’ve already been poked and prodded about our role in the new ‘sandwich generation’ and we’ve been quizzed and questioned about living full lives after retirement.

Now, a new study from Stanford Center on Longevity is researching whether or not the degree of our interactions with family and friends plays a role in our longevity.

Earlier this year, Stanford Center on Longevity launched the Sightlines Project, a partnership with Time magazine to look at Americans in select age groups who are exhibiting success in what they suggest are three areas essential to longevity and well-being. The areas healthful living, financial security and social engagement.

Related surveys indicate that three of four Americans would like to live to be a healthy 100 years old. However, many of those people retired only to discover that they are practicing habits that would not indicate a healthy lifestyle that could propel them into the future. They often overate, under-exercised, and reduced social interactions with family and friends.

In order for them to live their dream of heartily slapping each other on back at 100 birthday parties, they would need to change those habits.

Looking for trends, comparisons were made between people today and people of the same age group a few decades ago.

The results were interesting.

• Bad health habits such as smoking have decreased and more people are exercising more frequently.
• Diet and sleep issues, however, continue to jeopardize future health. In this day of so much processed non-nutritional foods this should be a surprise to no one.
• As expected, isolation remains a key factor in diminishing one’s overall well-being. This is happening for many reasons. Among them:
• There are less traditional opportunities for getting together with others. Church socials and many service organization activities, for example, are not as prominent as they used to be.
• Fast paced, long distance family and friends are more difficult to maintain contact with. Face time – in person contact - in most cases has receded.

Sadly, about twenty percent of those interviewed had family and friends they could count upon in times of need.

Experts offer this advice to counteract the trends:

Get involved. Volunteer. Take classes. Learn something new. Work part-time. All of these will help baby boomers keep active. And this can lead to better health.

To learn more about the Stanford Center on Longevity, click here.

Author Dietrich Stroeh chronicles his caretaking journey in the e-book Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing. This Kindle ebook takes readers inside the Stroeh household where home care, medical decisions and much needed laughter gave extraordinary shape to an unexpected and devastating illness.

He has also written two free e-books on the topic. To learn more, click here.