Improvements in medicine, public health, science, and technology have enabled today's older people to live longer and healthier lives than previous generations. Older adults want to remain healthy and independent at home in their communities. Society wants to minimize the health care and economic costs associated with an increasing older population. The science of aging indicates that chronic disease and disability are not inevitable. As a result, health promotion and disease prevention activities and programs are an increasing priority for older adults, their families, and the health care system. There are several components to maintaining one's health throughout life. Here are some of the considerations:
a) Physical activity. Cardiovascular activity is important, such as walking and swimming, but just as important is attempting to increase strength by exercising with weights. This is called resistance training. It is important that if you elect to exercise with weights that you do so under appropriate supervision. Possibilities include joining a health club or a fitness center with certified exercise instructors; or, hiring a personal trainer to aid in your exercise regimen. It is very important that you use good form, which will assure that you do not hurt yourself. When you do these exercises you must use sufficient weight and sufficient repetitions to fatigue the muscle. This will help develop increased muscle strength. It can improve gait and balance and prevent dependency as you get older.
b) Regular medical checkups. As you get older, your risk of developing illnesses such as high blood pressure or cancer goes up significantly. Early detection and appropriate treatment can prevent serious complications, decrease the risk of physical dependence, and improve your quality of life.
c) Good nutrition. Food provides energy and nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. Nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. As you grow older, you may need less energy from what you eat. But, you still need just as many of the nutrients in food. Nutrition experts can recommend what the average older person needs to eat, but it is a good idea to check with a doctor or a registered dietitian, a specialist trained in nutrition. This is especially true if an older person has a health problem that limits what he or she should eat.
d) Social interaction. Research shows that healthy relationships with family and friends are key to aging successfully. Socializing provides mental stimulation as well as a sense of connection to others.

2) Whether in the form of the Internet, magazines, newspapers, radio, or TV, the media definitely influence consumer health behavior. Think about all the advertisements you see: Pilates and yoga tapes, diet pills, exercise equipment, weight-loss organizations like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, herbal muscle builders, and the list goes on. People seeing and hearing these ads are undoubtedly influenced by their messages to join the club, get fit, or buy a product. They may hear other people's success stories on a talk show like Oprah and be inspired to make changes in their own life or they may be intimidated by the beautiful models often present in the ads and informercials and give up all hope of looking that way. News stories on health and nutrition can also influence consumers. One may simply learn how to cook a lowfat meal from watching a health segment on the nightly news or pick up a tip on weight training from a newspaper column. Publication and dissemination of healthy eating guidelines, such as the food pyramid, can inform people of how to structure their diets. Reading about the dangers of trans-fatty acids in a magazine might also cause a person to switch brands of butter or skip popcorn on their next trip to the movies. The media can also promote healthy eating behavior through paid advertising sponsored by Federal and State governments. An example of this programming is the "VERB" campaign in the US - the tagline is "What's your verb?" and promotes physical activity in children and teens.

3) The environment is controllable to a certain extent. People may make health-related decisions based on their environment or community. For example, a person may choose not to walk to the store or to work because of a lack of sidewalks. Communities, homes, and workplaces can all influence people's health decisions. Because of this influence, it is important to create environments in these locations that make it easier to engage in physical activity and to eat a healthy diet. A consumer's environment can be changed. For example, the following could alter a person's environment and promote health:
1) Encouraging the food industry to provide reasonable food and beverage portion sizes, and printing nutrition facts on menus to increase awareness.
2) Encouraging food outlets to increase the availability of low-calorie, nutritious food items
3) Create opportunities for physical activity in communities by adding sidewalks to streets, building playgrounds and gyms, and creating open space for parks, trails, and bike paths.

4) The government publishes healthy eating guidelines, weight tables and charts, and research on the amount of exercise needed to maintain one's weight or lose weight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed the Food Guide Pyramid to help you make healthy food choices. The federal government also establishes information on RDI (the recommended daily allowance) for vitamins and minerals, which assists consumers in evaluating their diets and ensuring that they are getting the nutrition they need. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates nutrition labels on food and conducts safety tests for consumers. Notably, the FDA does not regulate natural supplements, which are often marketed as weight loss drugs. As noted above, the government also sponsors advertising to encourage citizens to exercise and eat well, and to instill these habits in children.