The longevity revolution is about getting older and the efforts that should be made to reform health care and social security to care for the elderly and the other demographic problems of an aging workforce. But who likes to live longer just for getting older?
In our retirement years we like to add quality to our lives and of that health is the most important I think. While there is pretty little we can do for getting disease through gene dysfunction or inheritance there is a lot we can do to prevent premature death and prevent diseases simply by changing lifestyle and diet. For instance, Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil report in WSJ (Alternative Medicine is Mainstream, WSJ, January 9, 2009) that changing life style could prevent at least 90% of all heart disease.
There is no doubt that in the quality of life relationships that family and friends counts and financial safeguards are big on the scale of longevity. These are specialized fields and you not only have to rely on yourself for that but you also have to rely on the advice and reaction of others and not taken for a ride in the process. But again, there is a lot that you can do by behaving well to get others to reciprocate towards you in a good ways as well and take those precautions not to outlive your money. However, it is not easy to enjoy the joy, pleasure and freedom of life unless you are in good health. So take control of your life: exercise and eat and drink sensibly. It’s not about getting older, but it is about improving an individual’s quality of life in the face of increasing life expectancy.
Note: MES from UNICEF sent me these tips for a better life which I think are very age appropriate for the quality of life even for UN retirees.
Comments