Among the icons of unhealthy lifestyle, the American trucker and the Scottish male are perhaps the most popular. Both are associated with poor diet, smoking, inactivity, obesity and early morbidities.

But it seems these icons may no longer exemplify health-avoiding behaviour. Rather they just might represent just the opposite: a change in lifestyle to emphasize health maintenance. Two recent reports brought this to my attention.

The New York Times reports the trucker is trying to amend his ways of fast food and no exercise:

“Now transportation carriers, industry organizations and even truck stops are unrolling initiatives to help truckers slim down, shape up and improve their health. Employers are holding health seminars, building on-site gyms, bringing in nutritionists and fitness trainers, and offering financial incentives to employees who stop smoking or lose weight. Some drivers are cooking in their rigs, walking or bike riding around truck stops, blogging about their experiences at sites like truckingsolutionsgroup.org and safetythruwellness.com, and writing books.”

(New York Times, November 21, 2011)

And according to the ongoing surveys of Scottish health, the older Scottish male appears to be eating more veggies and quitting cigarettes (Chart 1).

Chart 1

Is this change in lifestyle symbolic of a broader trend in the aging population to practice health seeking behaviour? Certainly, there are more reports about growing ill-health amongst older people than there are about health-seeking behaviour. But amongst certain segments of the older population, our research shows that health maintenance is a priority. And that segment visits the dental office regularly with a focus on preventive care.

Ross Perry