SURGEON GENERAL’S
WORKSHOP

Health Promotion and Aging

 

Background Papers

Edited by: DEP SG Faye G. Abdellah
SR PHARM Steven R. Moore

Note: All opinions contained in these papers represent the viewpoint solely of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the viewpoint of the Office of the Surgeon General, the Public Health Ser-
vice and its constituent Agencies, or the Editors.

Sponsors for this Workshop are Administration on Aging, Health Resources and Services Administration, Food and Drug Administration, National
Institute on Aging, the Office of Minority Health, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control, National Instinute
of Mental Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Brookdale Foundation, and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Support for the printing of this publication is provided by the Henry J Kaiser Famiiy Foundation of Menlo Pack, California.
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LC DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Public Health Service

rinaat The Surgeon General of the
Public Heaith Service
Rockville MD 20857

ot MTALT

November 23, 1987

Dear Workshop Participant,

Change often offers opportunity: As our society changes and we have an
older population, age has traditionally been equated with diminished
capacity and ability. This does not necessarily have to be the expected
autcome. The comdined expertise of the scientific community, the interest
of the aging network, and the will of older individuals to modify their
way of living to accommodate healthful lifestyles, can allow later life to
be both meaningful and active.

At my request, individuals who have expertise in various aspects of health
promotion and aging have compiled a series of papers that seek to document
what we know about health promotion research and activities. These papers
are thus provided to you in preparation for the deliberation of the
Workshop participants on Health Promotion and Aging. Though they may not
offer answers, the papers will hopefully provide an overview of what is
known and provoke thought on the topic areas prior to the meeting. In the
same manner, the papers do not seek to provide answers, for in many
instances we do not necessarily have these answers yet. We do have
indicators and with the proper emphasis and encouragement, we hope to move
forward into the arena of preventive activities and healthful lifestyles.

Please consider these papers as starting points for your further thought
and deliberation, and more importantly, for our joint action in the
application of health promotion to our aging society.

Cf ce.

C. Everett Koop, M. ©
Surgeon General