Imagine, a heart attack, prostate cancer, or another birthday? At
some point, every man gets a shocking reminder that he won't be young and healthy
forever.
This realization brings up the Big Question: How much time do I have? For a
good guess, you could subject yourself to a battery of medical tests, get a few
parts probed, and fill out volumes of questionnaires. But for the most accurate
forecast, you should ask the Even Bigger Question: How healthy do I feel?
Think carefully. No matter what all of those tests say, your future largely hinges
on your answer.
A number of recent studies have uncovered a startling fact: A man's
opinion about his health is one of the most important keys to how long he lives.
That's certainly what researchers at Duke University found when they asked almost
3,000 heart patients to rate their health as poor, fair, good, or very good. Those
who chose "poor" were about three times more likely than those who chose "very
good" to die within the next three and a half years. Even an answer of "good" instead
of "very good" increased the risk of death by 70%.
These numbers may
not seem particularly shocking. After all, a man who thinks he's in poor shape
is usually right. The surprising thing is that in the study, researchers did their
best to consider factors such as age, smoking, activity levels, socioeconomic class,
weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, current diseases, and practically everything
else that could affect a person's survival. Even with all of these factors removed
from the equation, a man's outlook on his health still stands out as a strong predictor
of his survival. Is it a matter of mind? Nobody knows why self-ratings of health
are so important to death, but attitude may encourage a person to slip into an
unhealthy lifestyle. It is also possible that people know and understand their
bodies and can sense trouble approaching. Remember, You don't even have to be in
perfect health to see the bright side. A wheelchair-bound man was once interviewed
and claimed to be in excellent health. "His only complaint
was that he recently strained his shoulder in a karate class". "He never
even mentioned the wheelchair." Not everyone can match this man's positive
outlook on life. But we can all take some control over the attitudes that might
help us think more positive about ourselves and our health. People should occasionally
turn their attention away from risks to their health and focus on the resources
they have to stay healthy. And if anyone asks how you feel, try to find something
good to say. And mean it.
Submitted by Wanda Parks, RD, LD
Nutrition and Health Promotion Administrator |
