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By Senator Richard T. Moore

December 26, 2007 ... Well, we’re about to make it to another year and we’re usually asked what our New Years’ Resolutions are for 2008. There are a few resolutions that we ought to keep if we want to celebrate the advent of new years into our future.

For starters, why not take the quiz to see what your life expectancy might be and what you can do to live longer and healthier? There’s a great web site to help give you a possible answer. It’s www.livingto100.com. People who have had long lives presumably hold keys to good health, and the rest of us might do well to learn from them. That is why Thomas Perls, a geriatrician at the Boston University Medical School, studies centenarians – people who have been kicking for a century or more. As head of the New England Centenarian Study, the world’s largest study of such people, Dr. Perls has researched the habits, genes, and medical histories of about 900 centenarians. Dr. Perls thinks centenarians offer and unparalleled look into how we can all age gracefully, healthfully, and happily. So start by going to his web site and click “Take the Calculator,” and be honest with yourself when you answer the questions. 

Then, go back to the calculator and see what happens if you decide to stop smoking or to follow better diet and exercise habits. 

In our region, cardiovascular and lung diseases are among the leading causes of premature death. They also have a significant impact on the quality of our lives and on the well-being of our families. 

If you are a smoker, or know a smoker, a great resolution to make and keep for 2008 would be to stop smoking or help a family member or friend to stop. Because tobacco is addictive, it is a resolution that is not easy to keep. 

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and illness in Massachusetts in the nation. More than 9,000 Massachusetts residents die each year from tobacco-related causes. Tobacco-related illnesses cost the Massachusetts health care system more than $2.7 billion each year. Smokers’ lost productivity accounts for another $1.5 billion lost annually to the Massachusetts economy. Even non-smokers – an estimated 1,000 adults and children – die each year from secondhand smoke. Tobacco kills more people each year than car accidents, AIDS, homicides, suicides, and poisonings combined! 

Smoking is a problem not only for people who smoke but for the companies that employ them. Smokers have 50% higher absenteeism rates, and cost employers $3,600 per year in health and life insurance costs and claims, accidents and fires, property damage, smoke pollution illness and discomfort to non-smokers according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worksite smoking cessation programs will generate substantial economic benefits to employers in the areas of medical care, absenteeism reduction, increase of on-the-job productivity, and reduced life insurance costs. The Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program has helpful information for individuals and businesses. This information is available on my web site, www.senatormoore.com/health. 

Perhaps the other health risk of greatest concern in Massachusetts is the growing epidemic of obesity, especially among our youth. Surveys indicate that one out of every two Massachusetts residents meet the clinical definition for being obese. We just don’t get enough exercise and we eat too much of the wrong kinds of food. It can also be a contributing factor in cardio-vascular disease and diabetes leading to increasing health costs, declining work productivity and premature death. 

If you’re overweight, another great resolution to make and keep is to follow a more sensible diet and to get more exercise. This is certainly going to be my personal resolution for the New Year! 

Few public health challenges are more important today than stopping the epidemic of overweight and obesity. Obesity is second only to smoking as a preventable cause of death in the United States. In 2000, more than 100 agencies, organizations and individuals joined together as the Massachusetts Partnership for Healthy Weight to combat this problem. To learn more about the Partnership, or to search its list of over 5,000 places where you and your family can be physically active, you can once again visit my web site at www.senatormoore.com/health. 

The Massachusetts Obesity Prevention Program is another helpful source of information for those of us who want to lose some pounds in the coming months. We could all do better by following the 5-2-1 program of eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day, watching less than 2 hours of television or computer games daily, and getting at least 1 hour of physical activity each day. Several schools in our area have enrolled in the “Jump Up and Go” program sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts. 

Whether you want to resolve to stop smoking, lose weight, or even both, it is a good idea to consult with your doctor or other health professional who can help you design a program that is best for you. Your health insurance plan is another source, not only of helpful information, but of helping with the costs of smoking cessation or weight loss programs. May you live longer and healthier in 2008 and for many years in the future. 

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