Most people are aware of their entitlements and, in many cases, look to someone else to satisfy their associated expectations.
I witnessed at first hand how an attitude of entitlement created problems.
I developed and implemented a program for the New Zealand Government whose target audience was the long-term unemployed.
After two-years of unemployment, many of the targeted individuals considered that they were entitled to receiving the 'benefit'.
Their attitude influenced any decision about seeking or accepting employment.
An entitlement attitude must never be allowed to influence healthy ageing.
We must avoid wherever possible relying on someone else to 'make us healthy'.
Conscientious self-care must be the way to go: we can dramatically influence our health as we age.
A cost-effective approach would involve encouraging people to adopt healthier lifestyles thereby preventing or postponing many age-related conditions.
We have a responsibility to control at least some portion of our potential for healthy ageing.
And this responsibility is not only to ourselves but also to our families; who will serve as our caregivers, to our nation; and to the younger generations who will be forced to foot the bills.
It has been repeatedly shown that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce most of the more common diseases often associated with ageing - heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporotic fractures.
In addition, healthy behaviours have been shown to increase bone and lean muscle mass, improve metabolic rate, balance, coordination, strength, reducing stroke, and fostering a sense of well-being.
And the good news is that we can make this decision ourselves - to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Sure, we can rely on Governments and other providers to come-up with the infrastructure to facilitate our actions, ultimately, however, the onus is on us to act.
A healthy lifestyle is there for the taking.
If you need some additional motivation to retaining a healthy lifestyle, keep in mind Brigitte Bardot's words of wisdom: It's sad to grow old, but nice to ripen.
Or perhaps you prefer Groucho Marx's observation: Growing old is something you do if you're lucky.
I witnessed at first hand how an attitude of entitlement created problems.
I developed and implemented a program for the New Zealand Government whose target audience was the long-term unemployed.
After two-years of unemployment, many of the targeted individuals considered that they were entitled to receiving the 'benefit'.
Their attitude influenced any decision about seeking or accepting employment.
An entitlement attitude must never be allowed to influence healthy ageing.
We must avoid wherever possible relying on someone else to 'make us healthy'.
Conscientious self-care must be the way to go: we can dramatically influence our health as we age.
A cost-effective approach would involve encouraging people to adopt healthier lifestyles thereby preventing or postponing many age-related conditions.
We have a responsibility to control at least some portion of our potential for healthy ageing.
And this responsibility is not only to ourselves but also to our families; who will serve as our caregivers, to our nation; and to the younger generations who will be forced to foot the bills.
It has been repeatedly shown that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce most of the more common diseases often associated with ageing - heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporotic fractures.
In addition, healthy behaviours have been shown to increase bone and lean muscle mass, improve metabolic rate, balance, coordination, strength, reducing stroke, and fostering a sense of well-being.
And the good news is that we can make this decision ourselves - to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Sure, we can rely on Governments and other providers to come-up with the infrastructure to facilitate our actions, ultimately, however, the onus is on us to act.
A healthy lifestyle is there for the taking.
If you need some additional motivation to retaining a healthy lifestyle, keep in mind Brigitte Bardot's words of wisdom: It's sad to grow old, but nice to ripen.
Or perhaps you prefer Groucho Marx's observation: Growing old is something you do if you're lucky.
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