The decisions we make impact our health, said Dr. Mike White.
“I like this quote, which is, ‘Life is the consequence of the decisions we make. Choose wisely,’” White said.
White, himself a Rotarian from Cleburne, discussed health topics pertinent to adults during the club’s Thursday luncheon.
“We are all adults and we all need to be healthy,” said Cleburne Rotary president Paul Verwers. “So I feel like today’s presentation is a very timely message.”
The main perm of health care is change, White said.
“One day, something shows up as really good for you,” White said. “The next day it can be considered poisonous because someone will do another study somewhere and realize it’s not necessarily the right thing to do. So you have to keep up.”
White referred to the changes seen during his time as a doctor.
“I gave this talk when I moved to the city 41 years ago,” White said. “The average life expectancy in the United States would have been 69 years. Now it’s 79. If you get to 65, you have a better chance of getting to 19.3 more years.”
Overall, the US ranks 21st in life expectancy behind Japan, Denmark, Switzerland, Costa Rico, and other countries. The average life expectancy in Africa, by contrast, is 59 years.
“But, in 1900, I was 22, so they’ve come a long way, too.”
Change aside, everyone can and should practice various behaviors to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“Quit or never start,” White said. “Maintain a good, healthy weight and get plenty of rest, six to eight hours a night, and then exercise.”
What was reproduced in the subject of change.
“That exercise number changes,” White said. “But the number right now is about 150 minutes a week. So, 30 minutes about five times a week. You could probably do it all at once, though most people aren’t that disciplined.”
His wife’s 68-year-old cousin averages one marathon a week, White said, celebrating the completion of his 500th marathon by running 100 miles. That cousin, White said, didn’t start running marathons until he was 55.
“Not everyone chooses to do that,” White joked. “I’ve run 26 miles in my life.”
Somewhere in between those two extremes, White suggested, is the way to go when it comes to regular exercise.
Arthritis may well be the number one challenge for older adults.
“Although arthritis doesn’t kill us, it contributes to that death rate and loss of longevity,” White said. “It affects us because it slows us down, prevents us from exercising and we sit like a lump.”
Heart disease, an umbrella term for high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol, and other illnesses, is the leading cause of death in the United States.
“You want to watch your salt intake, get your high blood pressure under control, and if you have high cholesterol, don’t ignore it,” White said.
The main prevention of cancer is not smoking. Apart from that, if you and your family are genetically inclined, it is very likely that you will develop cancer at some point.
“The good news is that we’ve gotten better at recognizing it and treating it,” White said.
That’s why it’s so important that men and women don’t skimp on screening to catch any problems early and start treatment.
Although melanoma skin cancer is less common in Texas—“It’s too hot to go out much of the summer,” White said—other forms of skin cancer are common, most of which are easily treatable if caught early. weather.
White touched on the challenges of respiratory diseases, some of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the anguish of Alzheimer’s disease.
White added that managing diabetes and kidney problems, and managing your weight, is critical as you age.
“It’s still important to get that annual exam,” White said. “At least get your blood drawn so you can see what the problem is.”
Immunizations and proper oral health care are also listed.
White, responding to a question from a Rotarian, said that a good multivitamin never hurt anyone, aside from perhaps vitamins C and D.
“If you’re on a good diet, you probably don’t need supplements,” White said. “I had a patient spend $1,500 a month on supplements, which is crazy. And I’ve heard of people who took all kinds of vitamin supplements during COVID and probably none of them helped make it worth it.”
