Lisa99
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2010
- Messages
- 1,440
I had the pleasure of spending last weekend with my dad and his remaining brothers and sisters at a family reunion. At the reunion I got to observe a microcosm of closely related 'elderly folk' who have had different attitudes toward weight and fitness throughout their lives.
Dad is the youngest at 72, the oldest is 87. What I observed is that the more active and thin they were the better health both mentally and physically.
The 87-year old has been thin and very active her whole life. Even now she does water aerobics 2x/week. And even though she is the oldest she is mentally sharp and in great shape physically.
Her sister, who is 82, is 70+ pounds overweight and when I asked how she spends her days, she said "watching my soaps". She has back and knee problems and walks slowly with a cane. Mentally she has issues as well. She told the same story three times in less than 15 minutes.
My takeaway (albeit unscientific) is that I'd better be serious about my weight and exercise habits because at least in my family it makes a huge difference in one's quality of life.
Have others here observed similar correlations in their families?
Dad is the youngest at 72, the oldest is 87. What I observed is that the more active and thin they were the better health both mentally and physically.
The 87-year old has been thin and very active her whole life. Even now she does water aerobics 2x/week. And even though she is the oldest she is mentally sharp and in great shape physically.
Her sister, who is 82, is 70+ pounds overweight and when I asked how she spends her days, she said "watching my soaps". She has back and knee problems and walks slowly with a cane. Mentally she has issues as well. She told the same story three times in less than 15 minutes.
My takeaway (albeit unscientific) is that I'd better be serious about my weight and exercise habits because at least in my family it makes a huge difference in one's quality of life.
Have others here observed similar correlations in their families?