Ohio Department of Aging
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Last year, the oldest of the Baby Boom generation began turning 60 years old. In Ohio, 12,000 people reach that milestone each month. Ohio is home to two million residents age 60 or older.
Our lives are built around working too much, eating on the run and spending our free time relaxing in front of the TV or computer. We live in neighborhoods without sidewalks, we are surrounded by high calorie and high fat foods and we drive more than we walk or ride bikes.
The five leading causes of death in Ohio - heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes - are directly linked to unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Only by making certain lifestyle choices can we stay healthy as we age. Good nutrition is essential to good health, as is the proper amount of appropriate exercise. Equally important is regular preventive care and treatment from a medical professional.
A healthy mind and spirit go hand-in-hand with a healthy body - just as high blood pressure and diabetes can and should be treated, so should behavioral health conditions such as depression and addiction. Treatment works and people do recover.
Older Ohioans are living longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives through personal responsibility, healthy choices and appropriate care.
FOR ALL OF THESE REASONS, I, TED STRICKLAND, Governor of the State of Ohio, urge Ohioans of all ages to "go forward healthy" and adopt good habits for nutrition, exercise, medical care and behavioral health, not just this month, but all year round.
On this first day of September, 2007;
Ted Strickland
Governor
Ohio Department of Aging