Breaking the Rules of Aging

Old age gets a bad rap, argues geriatric specialist Lipschitz. The senior years do not inevitably mean loss of mental or physical prowess, he maintains: in fact, the cliched advice to ""take it easy, you're not as young as you were"" is exactly the wrong approach. Lipschitz cites studies showing that exercise is beneficial to the elderly, and that sexually active seniors live longer than celibate ones. He even decries the obsession to lose weight, claiming that ""thin isn't healthy,"" since ""pleasingly plump"" (but not obese) people live longer. Lipschitz's approach is balanced and well reasoned, never fanatical. He argues against invasive surgery for most coronary disease, contending that if a person has no symptoms, surgery can cause more problems than it solves. However, he goes on to list specific conditions that do warrant surgical intervention. Many seniors are over-medicated, he notes, which leads to negative side effects, and he offers specific advice for replacing dozens of medications with a few carefully chosen ones. The host of a public television series called Aging Successfully with Doctor David, Lipschitz is articulate and entertaining, and he clearly explains medical terms and procedures for the layman. His upbeat book reassures seniors that if they look after themselves, their golden years can be their most rewarding.