Healthy Lifestyle in Seniors Wards Off Years of Disability in Old Age

A new study from the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Aging and Population Health finds that seniors who eat healthily, exercise regularly, keep a trim waistline and stay away from smoking can look forward to more disability-free years. Center director and study co-author Dr. Anne Newman told UPI, "There is great concern in society that a longer life will be a great burden to society. This study shows that a longer life was also a better life in those with healthy lifestyles." Newman explained that the bottom line is that those with the healthiest habits could expect to live out roughly 80 percent of their remaining years disability-free. In contrast, among those with "the lowest level of health habits, only 55 to 60 percent of their remaining years were disability-free." Specifically, obese men and women saw both their longevity and their overall years of able living cut by more than 7 percent, compared with those of normal weight. Similarly, the least healthy eaters saw both their longevity and years of able living drop by nearly 4 percent. The findings were published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.