Practical Applications in Lifespan and Healthspan: Debunking the Myths, Fads, Trends and Gimmicks - and Adding Choice!

Without regard to a specific age that one would like to survive to, most all of us would want to live healthy lives fully up to the point of death. The news feeds, podcasts, magazines and infomercials are filled with advice about how to live longer, yet far less content, product, and media is focused on healthspan. We have more options to choose from now than we have everhad on diets, supplements, sleep aides, and exercise – both in movements and machines. Having options is not the primary problem. Knowledge is not the primary problem. While it is frequently blamed, having the time to implement healthy strategies is also not the primary problem. Why is it then that healthspan is not keeping pace with lifespan? Perhaps the solutions that have been implemented from these scientific advancements - are the problem. We now have more education, fewer work hours/more time for self-help, more gimmicks and life hacks than we have ever held. What is going to move people to choose better, to adopt evidence-based strategies to extend healthspan? The approaches that have been used to coerce, guilt, shame, or convince people have been ineffective. These approaches have included more myths about aging than ever, more approaches endorsed by figures of authority, and even more legislative solutions. We have tried these and are barely living longer than we were decades ago. The solution may be in stepping back and providing choice. Choice provides autonomy, enhances self-efficacy and elevates belief. Choice empowers these three powerful tools to make any solution more effective.