Adolescence Period, Research Paper Example

According to the Free Life Expectancy Calculator at MSN.com my life expectancy is the age of 69. The factors revealing a low life expectancy for a female of my age are due to my inherited risks of heart disease due to a high cholesterol rate, high tri-glycerol’s and regular smoking for years. According to the Centers for Disease Control “high cholesterol and tri-glycerol are essentially inherited through parents and other immediate family members”. (Centers for Disease Control, 2010). However, a person can lower their risk for heart disease and stroke by eating a healthy diet which is low in fat and tri-glycerol’s and exercises regularly. This may have some impact on their bad cholesterol readings and tri-glycerol’s but may not lower them dramatically due to the inheritance factor.

In order to increase my longevity for a longer life I might first begin with a regimented exercise program of three times a week for at least one hour per day with emphasis on a cardiovascular workout. The second issue I may want to tackle is to either quit smoking or severely cut back to five cigarettes or less a day. There is nothing I can do about the inherited trait of high cholesterol and high tri-glycerol’s hence I must tackle the issues elsewhere in order to prevent the early signs for stroke and heart attack which may cause the longevity of my life span to be decreased. The oldest person I know that is still alive is my maternal grandmother, who is 92 years of age. Heart disease and stroke is not genetic on that side of my family. She eats a very balanced diet and walks three times a week for ? mile. She takes multi-vitamins and is a very happy person. She does have minor Alzheimer’s disease of which she is under the care of a physician for her medications, but other than that, she is as healthy as a horse. She does not smoke anymore and has not smoked in over twenty years. Her body weight and height are very appropriate and she is well taken care of physically and emotionally by the family. I think the above all are contributing factors as well as her genetics to her longevity of life. She attends regular check-ups at her general practice physician of which is a contributing factor to her healthy life style. She drinks lots of water which keeps her skin silky pure and helps to keep her body flushed and pure of toxins. She essentially lives a stress free lifestyle which is a large contributing factor to her longevity of life.

I had a cousin that died at the age of only nine. He was diagnosed at the age of one with Cystic Fibrosis of the lungs. He could have lived easily to the age of eighteen states doctors with the proper care, but he did not. This was a very sad story in my life. His mother did not take proper care of him and his father was not around much due to the divorce and his mother attempting to keep him away from his father. Often he would spend time with my Aunt and Uncle and in their presence he would receive proper nourishment and his treatments four times a day. If he lived with my Aunt and Uncle I am certain he could have lived very long just as doctor’s had predicted, but unfortunately he did not. My Aunt and Uncle would have had to take the mother to court to have custody stripped from her and my Uncle would have had to sign custody over to my Aunt and Uncle. My Uncle worked shift work at a chemical plant and knew he could not take care of his son full-time without the assistance of a helper due to working nights hence he left the child in care of the ‘negligent mother’. It is very sad the young child went with God very early as a result of this negligence. I feel everyone failed this child due to ‘no one taking a step to step in and save him from the mother’. This tragedy could have been prevented. I never stated that the mother did not love the child, only she was not capable of taking care of a child with special needs.

References

Hernandez, C. (2008) Lifespan Perspective on Human Development Retrieved March 31, 2010 from, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/950617/lifespan_perspective_on_human_development.html?cat=47

Bee, H. (2006) Adult Development Retrieved March 31, 2010 from, http://www.psy.cuhk.edu.hk/en/course/course_0809/PSY3540_0809_T2.pdf

Surrogate Mothers, Inc. (2003) Retrieved March 31, 2010 from, http://www.surrogatemothers.com/info.html

Harder, A. (2009) The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson Retrieved April 1, 2010 from, http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm

Artisan, J. (2009) Child Rearing Styles: Which Style Are You Using? Retrieved April 1, 2010 from, http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/child-rearing-styles-which-style-are-you-using-1349533.html

Sherman, K. (2010) The Four Styles of Disciplining Retrieved April 1, 2010 from, http://www.hitchedmag.com/article.php?id=339