New Study Shows Americans Are Living Longer… But There’s a Catch…

Do you want to live longer? If that question were asked in a poll, the vast majority would not just say, “yes”… they would probably SCREAM IT!!!

It’s understandable. The fear of dying is one of the most common fears people have. That’s why most people have been happy to see that the average lifespan has increased quite significantly over the last 40 years.
In fact, from 1970 to 2010, the average lifespan for men in the United States increased 9.2 years, from 67.2 years to 76.2 years, and the lifespan for American women increased from 74.6 years to 81 years.
This seems awesome at first glance, but new research shows that even though both men and women are living longer, they are also living with more disability.

According to Dr. Eileen Crimmins, the AARP Professor of Gerontology at the University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology, “We could be increasing the length of poor quality life more than good-quality life… There are a number of indications that the Baby Boomer generation that is now reaching old age is not seeing improvements in health similar to the older groups that went before them.”

Dr. Crimmins’ work shows less than half of the increase in the average person’s life observed between 1970 and 2010 can be described as “disability-free years.”

These findings have significant implications for policymaking, such as proposals to raise the retirement age for both Social Security and Medicare eligibility in the United States.
So, the question has changed…

Would you like to live longer if it meant
pain, poor health, and disability?

Only you know your answer to that question. But there is good news…
This does not have to be a zero-sum game. Living a long life and maintaining your health and vitality are not mutually exclusive.
In other words, it is possible to reach your 70s and 80s without suffering from a lot of the pain, disability, and health issues that can plague others.

Sure, genetics plays a role in all of this. But your genes often play less of a role than most think.

See, many experts agree that most health issues are preventable, and it’s estimated that up to 70% (or more) can be prevented through lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, exercising, and managing/reducing stress.

The biggest problem seems to be human psychology. We are creatures who tend to solve problems instead of preventing them in the first place.
Everyone knows the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
While this statement is 100% accurate, it is only accurate in the proper context.

Many things should be left alone when they are “working.” But there are many things in your life that will last a lot longer if they are taken care of. That is, if they are properly maintained, then they may never actually become broken.

For example, consider your car. Simply changing the oil as recommended by your vehicle manufacturer will help keep your car on the road. If you don’t change your oil, it may not matter while the car is still new, but as time goes on, not only will the vehicles performance degrade but you may find yourself spending a lot more money on repairs than you’d like to.

The human body is not as simple as a car, but the same philosophy holds true. When you were in your early 20s, didn’t it seem like you could eat anything you wanted and stay up late without it affecting you in a negative way? Try doing that in your 30s or 40s or 50s and you’ll definitely feel it the next day and sometimes over the next several days.
The better care you take of your body—that is, the more you do to maintain it—the fewer health problems you will have as you grow older and the more likely you will live up to your genetic potential.
As we’ve covered in previous issues, there is an aspect of your genetic make-up that can be changed by how well or how poorly you live your life: the epigenome.

The epigenome is a part of your genetic material that helps determine which genes are expressed and which genes are suppressed. The epigenome is affected by external factors like what you eat, how you live your life, and what you are exposed to in the world.

So, not only do eating right, exercising, reducing stress, and other healthy lifestyle choices help you live up to your genetic potential, those good habits may even improve it!

Here is something that is universally true: life is short.

It goes by in the blink of an eye. No matter how long you live, it is short. One-hundred years put in the context of the history of the universe is a drop in the bucket.

And time waits for no one. Which is why this is so important. It is extremely important to live life to the fullest. It is important to have fun and be happy. The only way to do that is to be healthy and pain-free.
Taking small steps every day to eat healthy food, exercise, reduce stress, and keep your body functioning at its best can have a major impact on your life today… and when you are 80… or even 100.

Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.