Taking Off Weight

If living a longer, more active retirement lifestyle is appealing, researchers tell us to get up off the couch. A good workout every day can add up to four years to the life expectancy of most retirees, according to research published by Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Living longer is not the only benefit, researchers concluded. Their studies showed that exercise helps the mind, by improving overall well-being, reducing stress and depression, and working to cut the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Yet the “health risk de jour” making headlines and driving fear into the heart of many is the risk of a breakout of avian, or bird, influenza. While the flu has had negligible effect so far, another, entirely preventable, affliction is estimated to kill more that 100,000 of us every year.

According to National Institute of Health figures and research published from conferences such as the ABC News® Obesity Summit held last year in Williamsburg, VA, obesity is far more deadly and a much bigger health risk. Despite the fact that life expectancies are increasing, as a nation we continue to put on weight; the average American is heavier than s/he was a generation ago.

Obesity could have a major effect on Medicare when obesity-related illnesses kick in, according to the researchers from several universities and hospitals. Life expectancy in the USA is now at a high of 77.6 years. If obesity continues to increase, researchers predict we could see the first reversal in life expectancy since the government started keeping track in 1900.

Changes in health care insurance … more restrictions from the health insurance carriers about what is covered … higher deductibles, higher co-pay amounts … spell increased financial risks to retirement plans if obesity is a problem.

Why the “bird flu” risks capture such attention, while an entirely preventable disease goes relatively unnoticed, is probably best explained by Peter Sandman, a self-described “risk communications consultant” quoted in Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner: “The basic reality is that risks that scare people and the risks that kill people are very different.”

Sandman boils understanding risk down to a simple equation: Risk = Hazard + Outrage. He notes that people under react when the hazard is high and the outrage is low, and overreact when hazard is low and outrage is high. It is easy to see why a media-hyped outrage can bring increased attention on something less hazardous, while something like obesity, with low outrage, silently continues to steal life from a population.

Take this to heart: No matter how successful your retirement saving plan or how great your investment acumen, it will not matter if your health keeps you from enjoying your retirement. The New England Journal of Medicine® puts it simply: “The best way to avoid health problems in later years is to maintain a healthy weight. The keys to healthy weight are regular exercise and good eating habits.”

To stay active, try to exercise 30 to 60 minutes every day. Your exercise doesn’t have to be hard-core, either. Walking, swimming, and stretching are all good ways to burn calories and help you stay fit.

Try some of these activities to get moving:

• Go outside for a walk.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Walk or bike when you can … save money on gas and benefit your body!
• Burn calories … tackle those household chores, such as vacuuming, washing the car, or cleaning the bathroom.
• Take up dancing … that’s good for burning 300 calories an hour.

Finally, focus on eating well, which doesn’t mean overindulgence from one diet plan to the next. Sensible will do. In the end the effort you make today will pay big dividends tomorrow … those dividends come tax-free!