2880: Staying Healthy Pays Off by Ryan Frederick of Here.life on How to Reduce Medical Costs

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[00:00:30] This is Optimal Health Daily. Staying Healthy Pays Off by Ryan Frederick of Here.life. And I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator. Happy Monday! Thank you so much for being here and welcome back to a new week of Optimal Health Daily. This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web, kind of like an ongoing audiobook. And with that, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:00] Staying Healthy Pays Off by Ryan Frederick of Here.life Our society is obsessed with longevity. Peter Atiyah's book, Outlive the Science and Art of Longevity, has sold more than 1 million copies. Entrepreneur Brian Johnson has invested millions and made headlines with his approaches to reducing his biological age.

[00:01:22] And high-end gym chain Equinox has launched a $40,000 annual membership for its new longevity program, which features regular tests and customized coaching. Eyeing the opportunity, investors are pouring in dollars to help fuel this longevity trend. While most of us don't have the financial resources to invest in our longevity like Brian Johnson, there is a business case for investing in your health. One of the overlooked reasons is that good health saves you money.

[00:01:53] Good health pays off. Financial advisors are increasingly finding themselves in the business of longevity planning. This is a challenging exercise, with people living longer and with fewer and less generous defined retirement benefits than in prior generations. For example, with the move from defined benefits to defined contributions among corporate retirement plans, and with the qualifying age of Social Security benefits likely to increase,

[00:02:21] plans are in process to increase the retirement age in several European countries, more responsibility falls on the individual to be financially secure across an increased lifespan. One way to improve your financial well-being is to stay healthy. If you stay healthy, you are less likely to face large health care bills, or need long-term care, and delay or avoid living in health care settings. Consider care needs.

[00:02:50] According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 70% of people turning 65 will need some long-term care services in their lifetime. On average, women need care longer, about 3.7 years, when compared to men, about 2.2 years. However, the average doesn't fully capture the risk. 20% of people age 65 and older will need care for more than 5 years.

[00:03:18] Care can be really expensive. According to the 2023 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, the national median cost of in-home care and assisted living is approximately $6,000 per month, and nursing home care is nearly $10,000 per month. Of course, these figures are much higher in certain markets. The annual cost of nursing care in New York City is approximately $150,000,

[00:03:45] and care costs tend to increase at a rate greater than inflation. Those who stay healthy comprise nearly one-third of today's 65-year-olds, and are expected never to need long-term care support. Those savings will boost wealth span, which are the number of years in good financial health. Keys to Achieving Good Health Genetics play only a minor role in longevity, at most 20%. Our lifestyle decisions are far more important.

[00:04:15] Balanced diet Regular physical exercise Adequate sleep Mental health Preventative health care Hygiene and safety And a positive outlook, among other factors. For example, people who adhere to the MIND diet, also known as the Mediterranean Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, which is a variant of the Mediterranean diet and focuses on eating

[00:04:39] whole grains, berries, vegetables, especially green leafy ones, olive oil, poultry, and fish, have been shown to have a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Exercise, particularly if done regularly with some levels of intensity, improves cellular health, rebuilds muscle, elevates strength, and wards off cognitive decline. Cultivating strong social connections may be one of the most important elements.

[00:05:06] The Harvard Study of Adult Development is considered one of the world's longest studies of adult life, having started in 1938 during the Great Depression and is still active today. Its director, Dr. Robert Waldinger, has given a TED Talk with over 44 million views and recently co-authored a book on key insights from the study, The Good Life, Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. One of his key conclusions?

[00:05:32] The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying, and overall healthier lives. In fact, the study reveals that our connections with others can predict the health of our bodies and our brains as we go through life. Don't overlook the role of place in staying healthy. Environment plays a key role too. Access to healthcare, access to healthy foods, and exposure to air pollution, chemicals, and toxins all impact aging. But it's more than that.

[00:06:02] Where we live shapes our sense of purpose, our social connections, and health and financial well-being. This one decision has an outsized impact on the trajectory of our health at any stage in life. In this regard, it's important to consider the role of home beyond its four walls. It is the foundation for healthy longevity. This doesn't mean you should overspend on housing, but looking at it too narrowly may have negative long-term implications for your health and financial well-being.

[00:06:33] Investments in health don't need to be an obsession. Nudges in the right direction can be powerful. There will likely be more Brian Johnsons who obsess about their biological age and invest millions to improve their healthy longevity. There will likely also be more best-selling books on the subject, and other gyms that mimic Equinox's offering. We don't have to be obsessed or sign up for outlandishly expensive programs to make meaningful improvements in our health.

[00:07:01] Efforts to be healthier on the margin, such as finding a walking group or tennis buddies, can help across multiple dimensions. And keep in mind, these incremental efforts will also likely improve your financial well-being down the road. You just listened to the post titled, Staying Healthy Pays Off, by Ryan Frederick of Here.Life, and I'll be right back with my commentary. When was the last time you checked

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[00:08:27] You can reply STOP to opt out at any time. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. Today's author, Ryan, talked about the role our genetics plays when it comes to our overall health and longevity. Ryan mentioned that it does play a role, but it tends to be smaller than the influence our lifestyle has. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. state that most causes of preventable death are due to a lack of physical activity,

[00:08:55] not consuming enough fruits and vegetables in our diets, not getting enough sleep, you know, all of the things we talk about on this podcast. Now, when I tell this to patients, after hearing this, I would always have at least one patient tell me, yeah, yeah, Dr. Neil, I get it, but I have a grandparent that lived to be 100, and they smoked cigarettes for most of their life, and only ate meat and potatoes, and really only slept four hours a night.

[00:09:24] Yes, of course, these situations happen. But they're not the norm. Stories of those that live this kind of lifestyle and live a long, disease-free life exist, but they are rare. For every one of these abnormalities, there are hundreds that don't live a long, chronic, disease-free life. In fact, a recent study found that following a healthy lifestyle could add years to our lives. This study found that up to, actually, why don't you try and guess,

[00:09:53] how many years of life could be added to a person's life by following a healthy lifestyle, like eating more fruits and vegetables, getting seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, managing our stress, exercising regularly, and so on. Do you think that would add one year of life? Five years? Ten? Ten sounds pretty good, right? Try 24 years. Yes, following a healthy lifestyle

[00:10:21] could add 24 years to a person's life. And as today's author, Ryan, said, it can also save us lots of money in the process. All right, that'll do it for another edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you tomorrow with another post and where your optimal life awaits. олог 3 dijo Thank you.