Ronald Reagan

“ Americans are living longer than ever before. Today, record numbers of men and women are living full and productive lives well into their seventies, eighties, and nineties. Indeed, some 32,000 Americans have celebrated their one hundredth birthdays.
Lengthened life spans are tributes to the achievements of modern science and medical progress and reflect the positive individual lifestyles that can help to maintain and improve health.
But such progress is far from universal. Too many older Americans still suffer from health problems that are attributed, mistakenly, to the process of aging. ”

“ I ask public officials at all levels, community agencies, educators, the clergy, the communications media, and the American people to take this opportunity to honor older Americans and to encourage them to do everything they can to make their health last a lifetime. ”

“ Prolonging health throughout life takes many kinds of efforts. While science continues its search for better ways to prevent and treat health problems associated with aging, we can increase our own efforts to maintain our health and prolong our lives.
As we acknowledge the theme for this year's Older Americans Month-"Health: Make It Last a Lifetime"-I urge all Americans, regardless of age, to resolve to follow good health practices so that still greater numbers of us can enjoy our older years. ”