Staying Off the Obituary Page

A friend of mine recently noticed a large number of obituaries for folks in their 40's, 50's, and 60's and wondered if there was a trend there.  Had something changed?  Were people truly dying younger?

I'd like to think I'm not afraid of dying but then I've not been there yet.  I'm pretty much like the Kenny Chesney song  that says something like "I want to go to heaven but I don't want to go today."

So the way I figure it, there are three ways to look at my friend's comments.  One, people really are dying earlier.  Maybe.

Two, he's wrong.  I sure hope that one is the case.

Three, he's still wrong but as we get older and folks "our age" die, it just hits too darn close to home.  And we notice it more.   That one seems the most likely answer.

But let's look at the first one.  Are people dying younger?  Nah...all you've got to do is look at the statistics. 

In the United States, the average life expectancy today is 81.17 years for women and 75.96 for men.  I looked back to 1953, the year I was born, and it was 72 for women and 66 for men.  I think it's safe to say that people are living longer now and that just makes sense.

In doing the research, I also found some other interesting statistics.  If a man today reaches 65, they can fully expect to make it to 84.  Not too bad.

And women that reach 65 can expect to live to 86.  One in four of those 65 year olds will live past 90 while one in ten will make 95 or better. 

OK.  I'll take that.  Come on 65!

But in the meantime, what can we do to live longer? (You probably knew when you started reading that I was gonna get around to the sermon of the day.  And you were right.)

We need to exercise regularly.  You don't have to exercise seven days a week but you do need to exercise at least five times a week.  Yet, seven does sound good.

Exercise is like eating to me.  I occasionally give myself a day off from my exercise regimen but that's happens only when I'm too busy or when my body simply needs a rest. 

I've learned to listen to my body more as I've gotten older.  Unfortunately, for most people, their bodies lie to them--their bodies are just an excuse.  But after several days of hard exercise, your body might need a break.

We need to keep our weight under control.   We know that obesity and heart disease are directly linked.  So are obesity and diabetes and even certain types of cancer.

We need to be happy. Yeah, really.  Statistics tell us that happy people live longer. 

We need to have a significant other.   I suppose that those in a happy relationship get a double bonus.

Pretty simple formula.  As for me, I'm going to do today (and every day) what it takes to be healthy and active for as long as I can. I'm going to laugh more and make sure my wife is happy too.

If you remember, I plan to ride my bike to Washington at 107.