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Dr. David wants to be the Dr. Benjamin Spock of aging, the champion of a new way of living for the geriatric set.
He says getting old is great.
His first book, "Breaking the Rules of Aging" urges elders to get healthy by always finding the bright side and keeping a positive attitude no matter how bad things get.
Aging can be fun, he tells me.
I think he's got a tough sell.
"Not so tough, not so tough," says Dr. David Lipschitz, chairman of the University of Arkansas medical school's geriatrics department, columnist, author and TV and radio celebrity.
Selling the joy of graying means targeting your audience and delivering a message that makes them feel better about themselves, he says.
Doing a good job as a geriatrician means seeing and evaluating patients with a view toward prevention, not just fixing what's wrong.
That's his message.
Here's how it translates:
Strive for lifelong health. As Dr. David says, "I don't want you to live longer but to live the highest quality for as long as you live. I have no wish to prolong your life. I believe faith is such an important element in a long life living life the way God wants us to."
Now, you have to be happy to be healthy, he says.
"And love is the key to longevity. Men in long-standing monogamous relationships live 10 years longer than other men. Love is more important than sex."
There's more: "Faith is No. 2. Those who say they believe in a higher power have a better attitude."
Then you need purpose ("Stay occupied and get involved") and high self-esteem.
"I tell my patients I want them to be able to stand in front of a full-length mirror butt naked and say they look gorgeous," Dr. David says.
Beauty, he reminds, reflects who you are and what you have done with your life.
OK, that's all attitudinal and doesn't have much to do with doctoring.
So Dr. David throws in two other components: Eat like a Greek a Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, fruits and vegetables and low-fat protein. And exercise, the more the better (you knew that was coming, right?)
Become an educated consumer, he says, even when that means you don't believe everything your doctor tells you. Ask questions. Empower yourself.
Of course, Dr. David lives in an unreal world (you knew that, too, didn't you?)
In his practice, he says he believes in spending a lot of time with his patients. He talks about relationships and happiness instead of just looking for disease. He makes house calls. He answers his cell phone when patients call.
Dr. David, 62 and a native of South Africa, has been hyping his message in Arkansas for 28 years.
Other experts in the aging field are starting to pay attention.
Dr. Robert Butler, head of the New York-based International Longevity Center, has compared Dr. David to Spock, pointing out he's rewriting the rules for 77 million boomers now approaching their senior years.
Dr. David talks with gusto about the good times ahead for these aging boomers.
He's ready to sell them the ultimate guide to successful aging and gosh-knows-what-else-is-coming from his Web site, www.drdavidhealth.com.
"I'm the quintessential entrepreneur, and my product is good health," he's quoted as saying.
Does it work?
"Well my mother is 82, and she's got a boyfriend, 97, and he's proud he doesn't need Viagra," Dr. David says.
(Love may be great, but you knew it was all about sex, didn't you?)
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(Jane Glenn Haas is the author of "Time of Your Life: Why Almost Everything Gets Better After Fifty." She writes for The Orange County Register. Write to her at: The Register, P.O. Box 11626, Santa Ana, CA 92711, or send e-mail to jghaas@aol.com, or through her Web site, www.womansage.com.)
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(c) 2005, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.). Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
