Nearly all adults have encountered the advice that active lifestyle habits, aka exercise, is good for their health. At the same time, only one in four adults meet the recommended standard for physical activity – 150 minutes per week. In this case, knowledge does not translate into behavior for 75% of the population.
NYU and Johns Hopkins in collaboration with NIH (National Institutes of Health) published an updated analysis of data concluding that American adults confront a 42% risk of contracting dementia after age 55. This represents a sobering conclusion for everyone that is fortunate enough to count birthdays into their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond.
The Alzheimer’s Association has recently published results of the Pointer study. Their conclusion is that 45% of dementia cases can be prevented. Unlike the NYU research, this conclusion is not breaking news. The San Francisco VA Hospital made the same statement ten years ago.
Yes – mature adults face a substantive risk of cognitive deterioration and yes, we could tilt the odds in our personal favor by adopting lifestyle habits that promote healthy outcomes.
If people knew of the dementia risk and their personal ability to tilt the odds in their favor, would they be more likely to change their behavior? This knowledge would probably make a difference for some.
However, we operate with flawed thinking. For starters, humans function with short term myopia which is a strong tendency to focus on short term outcomes and dismiss or discount long term realities.
Consider Gloucester Massachusetts fishermen and women. As “catch” technology improved, they captured more and more bounty from the renowned Georges Banks fishery until the fish stocks were so diminished to require government restrictions on their catch.
Central Valley farmers in California have drained underground aquifers for irrigation to the extent that actual land upon which buildings are constructed is collapsing because the underground reservoirs are depleted.
Short term myopia makes long term risks evaporate. And this holds true for our health. Many people in their 50’s and 60’s feel fine and decide there is no need to change their behavior. When cognitive deterioration sets in, they wish they had done more to promote the health of their brain.
Physical activity is one piece of the solution. Challenging our learning capacity in later life represents another priority. Research published in the journal ‘Neurology’ noted that people with a routine job with little mental stimulation during your 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s have a 66% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment and a 37% greater risk of dementia after the age of 70.
The lesson for older adults should be clear. Maintaining the ‘same old, same old’ mental habits is dangerous for your cognitive health. Adults need to challenge their learning capacity as they age to keep their memory and brain functioning in optimal condition.
America’s first psychologist, William James, stated that “habit is the enormous flywheel of society.” If you want to keep your brain working successfully, you may need to change your habits.
In our next column, I will address techniques for implementing behavior change.
Dr. Richard Houston is an active and curious ‘senior’ who strives to get outdoors for a brisk walk daily. He is a graduate of Brown University and earned advanced degrees at Clark University. He was licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Psychology in the early 1980’s. Check out his web site at Senior-Psych.com where readers can find tutorials and his contact information.
This article was originally published in CHOICES For Fifty Plus, a Dubuque area magazine for people that are 50 and older. Single copies are available at Dubuque area newsstands or click here to read the digital version of the latest issue.
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