Today there are over 108 million people in the USA that are 50 years of age or older. The 65 years of age population explosion is expected to grow from 50.8 million as of 2018 to 70.4 million people in just twelve years. It is this group that is motivating our desire for a healthier way to age.

The National Council of Aging (NCOA) reported that 80% of adults aged 65 and older have at least one chronic condition; 68% have two or more according to 2015 data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. I will not list the conditions but make note that the majority of the conditions are as a result of lifestyle choices! This is excellent news because, as I have said before, if lifestyle choices can make us ill, they can make us well.

With a mindset of healthy aging now at the center of so many people’s thoughts, there are shared values that are very important like independence, freedom and a healthy mind. Autonomy and freedom translate to a lifestyle that maintains mobility and self-reliance. Healthy aging is not so much about longevity but really about extending quality of life. As I have always said, a long life in diapers without the ability to respond to purpose in life is not my idea of a life worth living. It is inevitable we will all age but how we age has a lot to do with the choices we make today.