Book: Aging Beyond Belief by Don Ardell

If you plan to age, prepare yourself — it's later than you think. The challenge of aging well should be taken seriously, but not grimly! Whatever your age, it's never too soon, or too late, to learn and apply the fine art of aging well, really well. Discover what aspects of aging can't be changed and improve the rest that can. Mold your own realities with REAL wellness, Ardell-style.

The 69 tips — one for each year of the author's life — are thought-provoking, challenging, eye-opening, manageable and fun to read. And all provide practical guidance for intelligently designing your own life-style evolution.
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by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.
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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Adding Wellness to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention! (Encore)

Friday June 6, 2003

George Carlin claims that "most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it." His humor is effective in part because he chooses to look upon events with a certain bemused cynicism and, in doing so, finds it easy to write stuff like "I certainly hope you're not one of those people who thinks life is real serious and deserves all kinds of deep thought and high purpose. Actually, life is more like a convenience store: you park in the lot, go inside, buy a few items, pay the man and drive home. No mystery there."

I thought about Carlin's remarks when I read a list of 18 "smart reasons to go to the hospital emergency room" in the health newsletter "Personal Best." One item on the list seemed so smart that it bears mention here -- UNCONSCIOUSNESS! Next time you're unconscious, try to remember this helpful tip. Be smart -- get yourself to the hospital emergency room.

A few years ago, the Atlanta-based CDC (Centers for Disease Control) changed their name to THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. The director of the agency at that time, William L. Roper, explained that the change was made to "better reflect CDC's role as the nation's prevention agency." Personally, I look forward to the next addition to the agency's name, perhaps by the Year 2010. I refer, of course, to a new name like THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, PREVENTION AND WELLNESS.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal agency charged with the Nation's health and safety. It is devoted to the task of providing credible information to enhance health policy decisions and promoting health through strong partnerships. Headquartered in Atlanta, it is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It has 8,500 employees and is headed by Dr. Julie L. Gerberding.

Nearly all informed citizens know and appreciate the need for and meaning of disease control. By adding prevention, recognition was given to the fact that a vast percentage of the American health care expenditures were and continue to be invested in varied kinds of morbidity and mortality that could be avoided with wiser lifestyles. Prevention is good, of course, but it entails a focus on avoiding health-related calamities of one kind or another. There's still room, however, for dramatic improvement to the CDC mission: Wellness promotion should be added to the mandate and work schedule.

Wellness is a term that connotes a lifestyle that actively seeks enhanced levels of physical and psychological well-being. It involves seeking health beyond the "normal" standard of non-sickness. Such a lifestyle is devoted to exceptional states of health though respect for and pursuit of high standards of fitness, stress management, nutrition, joy in life, purpose and meaning and much more.

A worthy health goal for all Americans, not just the CDC, would be to go another step beyond controlling disease and preventing sickness to that of pursuing wellness. Don't you think this would be a positive step in the right direction?

Be well. Look on the bright side.

Domain: physical
Subdomain: appearance and aging

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