Parade: The One New Year’s Resolution Longevity Experts Are Begging People Over 50 to Stop Making
Parade recently interviewed Sonja Rosen, MD, chief of Geriatric Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, about helpful New Year’s resolutions for middle-aged people who want to improve their long-term health.
Research suggests that most New Year’s resolutions in the U.S. are health-related, with many people vowing to lose weight. But nearly half of those who make resolutions drop them within a month.
Rosen told Parade a better option is to set realistic goals around adopting healthier habits in general, which can help improve longevity.
“While it is certainly important to lose weight if your weight is causing a health issue, dieting just to become a specific weight or a smaller clothing size isn’t always a sustainable goal,” she said. “Focus instead on being more active, ideally doing something you enjoy, or making healthier food changes. [These resolutions] will likely be more sustainable in the long run and it will make you happy.”
Rosen, whose research and clinical work focuses on healthy aging for older adults, said making positive lifestyle changes is a good idea at any age.
“A great example of that is physical activity,” she told Parade. “It’s never too late to become more active. Stopping smoking; eating healthier, less processed foods or cutting down on alcohol intake will make a big difference over 50 in terms of health outcomes and longevity.”
Experts say even small modifications—such as taking a short walk every day or eating more plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts—can make a difference.
Click here to read the complete article from Parade.