Stereotypes about the elderly are so prevalent that seniors themselves often buy into them. People young and old assume that retirement is a time of inactivity, less social involvement, and inevitable physical decline. Dr. Irvin M. Korr was a living refutation of that dreary stereotype. Through a holistic approach to health, based on the principles of osteopathic medicine, he proved that healthy, vigorous, fulfilling old age and long life are the natural culmination of healthy living. In his eighties, Dr. Korr was regularly playing tennis and cross-county skiing, while continuing his career as a medical educator, researcher, author, and lecturer.

It was this way of life that prompted Dr. Korr to write Living Long and Loving It: Achieving a Healthy and Active Lifestyle (forthcoming, March), an inspiring guide to achieving a healthy lifestyle at any age. Dr. Korr explains with enthusiasm and great clarity how any reader can apply scientifically based osteopathic principles to improve one's quality of life and promote successful aging. By learning to develop healthy habits, we take care of the "physician within" to ensure that our inner physician can then take care of us.

Dr. Korr also emphasizes the importance of regular exercise and the beneficial effects that freedom of motion and physical activity bring, not only on our musculoskeletal system but also for our various internal organs, as well as our state of mind. He makes the point that healthy aging is a choice that anyone can make at any time of life by making beneficial lifestyle changes.

One out of every two Americans will suffer from some mental disorder during their lifetime, with depression being the most common problem. How do most of us cope? Usually, we turn to overeating, drinking, and smoking. In short, we treat our unhealthy mental reactions to the American lifestyle with even unhealthier physical habits. 

Clinical psychologist Keith Johnsgard--an 80-year-old inveterate runner--proposes a better solution in his book Conquering Depression and Anxiety Through Exercise. Why not turn to exercise--one of the healthiest aspects of American lifestyle--as a means of improving not just our physical well-being but our state of mind as well? Though usually associated with losing weight and physical fitness, exercise does in fact offer many mental health benefits. Johnsgard inspires us to put on a pair of sneakers and start moving. He draws from a lifetime of clinical experience, research on the psyche of the athlete, and personal experience as an athlete to make a convincing case that exercise can greatly enhance our mental outlook. Further, physical activity decreases the symptoms of depression as well as psychotherapy and drugs, and with only positive side effects. Exercise not only reduces depression and anxiety, but also boosts your energy level and self-esteem.

Robert S. Brown, Sr., PhD, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatric Medicine at the University of Virginia calls the book "the best, most readable and authoritative book on exercise as a treatment of depression and anxiety. I know what he says is true. I prescribe exercise for my depressed and anxious patients and we know that it helps. I will now prescribe Conquering Depression and Anxiety Through Exercise as well!"

Caregiving is another aspect of taking charge of our own health and that of our loved ones. One of the most common conditions that caregivers must face is dementia. Although the public most often associates dementia with Alzheimer's, the medical profession now distinguishes various types of "other" dementias. What If It's Not Alzheimer's?: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia, Updated and Revised (forthcoming, February) is the first comprehensive guide dealing with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), one of the largest groups of non-Alzheimer's dementias.

This newly revised edition follows recent research and provides the most current medical information available, a better understanding of the different classifications of FTD, and more clarity regarding the role of genetics. A new chapter about the drugs that are now being used delves into a number of nonmedical options. The wealth of information offered in these pages will help both healthcare professionals and caregivers of someone suffering from frontotemporal dementia.

Authors Lisa Radin and her son, Gary Radin, have personal experience with this type of dementia. They provided complete in-home care for husband and father Neil Radin over a four-year period and in 1998, they established the Neil L. Radin Caregivers Relief Foundation.