Exploring Healthy Centenarians Lifestyles - Essay Example

Healthy centenarians’ lifestyles Research Summary This is a research proposal for the study of the healthy centenarians’ lifestyles. It evaluates the factors and arguments surrounding the issue including evidence of the factors for healthy living for longevity. Further, the significance of the issue justifies the proposal accordingly, as the proposal seeks to dispel the worrying belief that all aging ought to associate with pain and aches on the body. Thus, the centenarians’ healthy lifestyles are a constituent of taking the considerable right steps towards living. Notably, each person as an individual has an aspect of uniqueness, which means that many of the various lifestyles may not work for other people. However, it is observable that many of the decision of the centenarians’ lifestyles did lead to the longevity of their lives. Thus, the organizing committee overseeing this proposal is key to the success of the research. Initiating this proposal will advance the research into emancipating on the healthy lifestyle of centenarians. Further, staying active in the community and engaging the activities of life in a manner that avoids the psychiatric related problems is also notable in the lives of the centenarians. Nonetheless, the consideration of the role of genetics is also another component of the subject that is significant to this research. The plan of approaching the research entails understanding the issue of a healthy living, which will in extent facilitate key findings on longevity in all other populations, from evidence of people that live healthy lives. The research will consequently approach the factor of healthy living from evidence and established findings from the lifestyles of healthy centenarians to accommodate the various factors that entail a longevity of life. The main thesis is that the centenarians live long and healthy life as a reward of taking all the right health steps and procedures over the course of their lifestyles. Additionally, this research will establish whether indeed genetics are key in facilitating the longevity of lives for the centenarians. Introduction Some of the aspects of our health and vitality are a factor of our genes and others are a factor of the behavior of our mother during the pregnancy period. However, many of the lifestyle factors, such as those bordering fitness, weight, and diet are in impacting the ability to live a healthy and long life. As researchers continue working towards establishing the key to unlocking the longevity of life, a marginal group of people called the centenarians is notably facilitating helpful clues on how to live healthy and long. A centenarian is a person that has a life span of over 100 years and past research does indicate that indeed they are quite a number (Freeman, John & Hannah 719). Further, the belief is that genetics as well as the lifestyle behaviors play a notable role in the longevity and health of the centenarian life. Therefore, the centenarians can facilitate in teaching us on the procedures to engage to live long and healthy lives. Therefore, this research undertakes a study to evaluate the lifestyle factors that facilitate the centenarians to live such long lives. Literature Review At a glance into the issue of the centenarians, it is worth noting that the centenarians constitute the fastest growing population group of the U.S. with the numbers observably doubling in every decade (Rajpathak, et al. 1503). Through this rate of population increase, the projection is that by 2050, the centenarians’ population will pass the one million mark. Further, established research findings also give remarkably interesting establishments such as that, a showcase of the centenarians have a 60% lower rate of having heart disease, including stroke and high blood pressure (Rajpathak, et al. 1507). However, the scientific explanation of these findings remains elusive, as there is not yet established scientific finding of the factor aiding in this healthy life of the centenarians. Further, the centenarians as they exist as a group are notably happy and remarkably optimistic people. They reflect very low rates of depression and other related psychiatric problems suggesting that their individual personalities could also be among the most significant factor of their life longevity (Caruso, Calagero et al). Notably, interviews with hundreds of the centenarians have almost yield the same themes towards longevity. These themes towards the longevity of the life all border around the subject of their lifestyle as an elemental contributing factor to the long lives. Further, observing from the past research, it is evident that most centenarians and their relatives live remarkably long lives. Consequently, the widespread belief is that the centenarians have a genetic advantage that facilitates this elongated living (Engberg, et al. 272) Most people, despite doing everything wrong, still manage to hit the century mark and even longer lives while remaining healthy. For instance, Karen Preston, aged 69 years living in Palm City, Fla, says that her mother who is 108 years at the time of the interview, never exercised all throughout her life. Further, her mother, Vivian Henschke, has smoked most of her life and always had two cocktails at dinner almost about every night (Rajpathak, et al. 1510). She actually never watched what she ate, a factor that raises the elusive subject of whether indeed genetics have a role in the longevity of the centenarians lives. In reflection to the current standards of healthy living, this woman never did anything close to having a healthy lifestyle, yet she managed to live this long. Thus, from such findings, the scientists still push on their quest to establish whether indeed genetics are key in facilitating the longevity of lives or the lifestyles remain the most significant factor for the longevity and healthy lives. Thus, the question remains whether indeed the healthy lifestyle is key to the longevity that continues to elude many people. According to other studies, it is notable that certain factors indeed do facilitate healthy and longer lives. Such factors for consideration include the observation that not smoking is key to living through he risks associated with smoking. For instance, substantial smoking does give long life infections, which affect the ageing process of a Person (Venturelli, Schena & Richardson 116). For instance, an interview with a given centenarian shows that indeed he smoked until the age of 60 years when he began experiencing chest pains. Consequently, he stopped smoking and the pain subsided at the time of interview, he was 103 years old. Thus, from this observation, it is possible a change in the lifestyle did help him livelonger. Another healthy lifestyle is maintaining the body weight. Notably a majority of the centenarians observed in the research process are not obese, as nearly all have weight considered as lean. Further, the evaluation of the majority of centenarians by Venturelli, et al., it is evident that majority of the centenarians are people that exercised regularly through their earlier lives (Venturelli, Schena & Richardson 118). Thus, exercise could also be a factor of the healthy and long lives that the centenarians enjoy. Lastly, is the lifestyle that continues to elude many of the regular populations today in their pursuit for longer and healthier lives. This entails the practice of healthy diet, with the expected constituent of nutrients. Various research observations do indicate accordingly that indeed most of the centenarians eat exemplary diets including low calories and high fruit and vegetable content, fiber and quality fats (Freeman, John & Hannah 724). Thus, it is notable that indeed many of the centenarians do practice the various lifestyle approaches considered as healthy. Nonetheless, the very exceptions of such centenarians who do not observe all these healthy lifestyles and still live longer is a mesmerizing factor to the research processes. Thus, indeed the issue of the healthy centenarians’ lifestyles still remains elusive. Concluding Remarks From the forgoing establishments, a healthy living is indeed a package deal rather than a single magic action that facilitates all benefits. Approaching the subject from the general consent, the way in which a person treats the body will essentially reflect throughout the rest of the life and the aging experience. It is observable that aging is synonymous to pains and aches, a factor that this research will dispel accordingly from findings o the secrets to healthy centenarians’ lifestyles. Works cited Caruso, Calagero, et al. "“Positive biology”: the centenarian lesson." Immunity and Ageing 1 2012: 5. Directory of Open Access Journals. Web. 7 Feb. 2015. Engberg, Henriette, Et Al. "Centenarians–A Useful Model for Healthy Aging? A 29‐Year Follow‐Up Of Hospitalizations Among 40 000 Danes Born In 1905." Aging cell 3 (2009): 270-276.Academic one file. Web. 1 Feb.2015. Freeman, Shannon, John Garcia, and Hannah R. Marston. "Centenarian Self-Perceptions Of Factors Responsible For Attainment Of Extended Health And Longevity." Educational Gerontology 39.10 (2013): 717-728. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Mar. 2015. Rajpathak, Swapnil N., et al. "Lifestyle Factors Of People With Exceptional Longevity." Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society59.8 (2011): 1509-1512. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Mar. 2015 Venturelli, Massimo, Schena, Federico and Richardson, Russell. The role of exercise capacity in the health and longevity of centenarians. Maturitias, 73(2012): 115-120. ScienceDirect. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. Read More