| Recommended Reading Successful Aging The MacArthur Foundation Study of Aging in America found far more positive aspects to aging than negative ones. Therefore, the findings punctured the widespread belief that aging inevitably brings disability, disease, and decreased mental function. Unique in the field of gerontology research, this study didn’t examine aging in terms of expected decline, but rather explored factors that contribute to ongoing health and vitality as one ages. The myth busting results of this revolutionary research have been published in Successful Aging (Promethus, 1998). The authors are two members of the MacArthur Study multidisciplinary team, John Wallis Rowe (president of Mount Sinai Hospital) and Robert L. Kahn (University of Michigan professor of psychology and public health). In this clear and authoritative work, Drs. Rowe and Kahn, explain that successful aging is not largely determined by heredity, but rather individual choices in diet, exercise, the pursuit of mental challenges, self-efficacy, and involvement with other people. The authors also explore society’s role in promoting successful aging. They write:
To this aim, Drs. Rowe and Kahn outline innovative programs and policies that are enabling older men and women to stay healthy and to continue to contribute to their communities.
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