The SHAPE Analyser, available for free at www.mylongevity.com.au identifies five key factors which help explain your own longevity – the rest of your life.
The factors are:
S urroundings – physical and social factors that can affect our wellbeing
H ealth – the current physical condition of our body and how we manage it
A ttitude – how we see the future through important elements of our lives
P arents – factors which guide us about our genetic makeup
E ating – all the things we put into our bodies, not just food
The website explains how you can approach each of these SHAPE factors. Whether you do anything is up to you. What you decide enables you to take a view of the time frame you use in your plans – and how to monitor whether you are on track. As a general rule, the longer we live, the longer we are likely to live. Regularly reviewing our time plan and its consequences is important, and may change our financial and other plans.
The website also explains the stages through which you are likely to progress, typically a long period of independence followed by a short period of dependency. With this information, you can then plan more effectively for your health, finances, estate planning, aged care and end of life, using the advice of appropriate health, financial, legal and other professionals.
This approach empowers you make a properly informed commitment to your plans for the rest of your life and adapt them as your circumstances change.
