A study done by New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center indicates that significant and lasting changes in health can be made in adults over 65. Even into our 70s and 80s, there can be benefits. One of the things the study looked at was the way we seniors tend to gain fat and lose muscle mass. The two of those together are a self-perpetuating cycle: Fat is an inefficient fuel and burns calories slower than muscle. If we can lower the amount of fat and increase muscle mass, our metabolism speeds up because muscle burns calories more efficiently.

It's not easy though. We can't just wish away the accumulated extra pounds. It requires a change in lifestyle. But the benefits are worth it if we can take good health into our advancing years.

Here are some of the benefits cited by the study:
• If we exercise regularly and stick with a low-calorie diet, we can reduce our rate of cancer by 50 percent.
• If we improve our level of exercise and change our diet, we can control hypertension. This translates into a reduction of heart disease of 20 percent for men and 30 percent for women.
• If we take up weight training, not only do we increase our metabolism and our ability to burn calories, but we reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

There's nothing that says we can only have a New Year's diet and exercise resolution at the start of January. We can begin now. If you want to join me in getting healthy, ask your doctor for a diet and exercise plan customized for you