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Taking Responsibility for Living a Healthy Life-Style Most people would intuitively draw the conclusion that the more we accept personal responsibility for living a healthy life-style, the more likely we are to do just that. A recent study published in the academic journal Family and Community Health by professors at the University of Nebraska Medical Center supports this common-sense notion. Specifically, the researchers looked at 102 women over the age of 65 who lived in communities with which the university was connected. While the researchers acknowledge that the study is limited in its population selection, their results add a new twist to the continuing research about health and aging. Their conclusion:"Healthy aging be highly dependent on the willingness of individuals to accept responsibility for initiating and maintaining health-promoting life-styles." The women who were most successful in making positive changes in health-promoting behaviors were 1) younger; 2) lived with others; 3) defined health as wellness; 4) perceived themselves to be more mentally healthy; and 5) had access to sources of health information. The women who were most likely to want to make changes in the first place were younger (younger here meaning closer to 65 than to 85) and had access to sources of health information. That last finding strikes me as important for all of us to consider—even those who aren't 65+ year old women or living in a rural Nebraska community. First, we are more likely to make changes the younger we are. Every year we age, we get closer to giving up making any health changes. "Why bother," many reason, "I'm so old already." But it doesn't matter how old you really are! I have heard people in their 30s make that type of statement. And I have likewise heard people in their 80s say they probably have 20 more years of living ahead of them, and they want to be as healthy as possible. Undoubtedly, some of this has to do with self-perception, but this study indicates that it's definitely better to get started when you are younger. Apparently the difference between 65 and 85 makes a difference to people in their self-perceptions of whether they are too old to start making health changes. Second, the amount of health information available to people seems to make a difference. For this reason, reading about healthly living is probably a good idea. Reading or exposing one's self to information doesn't have to be a time burden. If you regularly read this Stress Corner, you are at least getting a once-a-month reminder to take better care of your health. There are many programs on television that are informational and inspirational. While you are waiting in a sitting room with popular magazines, you can no doubt find articles about health and fitness. In short, keeping ourselves educated about health and appropriate health-promoting life-style behaviors doesn't have to take a lot of time. According to these researchers, it is a good idea to keep inspiring yourself and to do it this year, rather than wait until next year! Janelle Barlow, Author
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