Mind and Body
The YOU: Staying Young Aging Quiz
From: YOU: Staying Young

  1. How healthy are you compared to other people your age?
    Excellent
    Very Good
    Good
    Fair
    Poor
  2. Do you…
    look forward to going to work each day? Yes  No
    tell jokes (that listeners actually laugh at) Yes  No
    write more than one thank you note in an average week? Yes  No
    meditate at least once each day? Yes  No
    typically stay calm when someone cuts you off in traffic, even if they deserve a full-fledged digital assault? Yes  No
    belong to and attend two or more social or religious groups once a month or more? Yes  No
  3. How often do you talk to at least one friend?
    Every day without fail
    Occasionally
    I have no friends I can talk to
  4. Can you walk up two flights of stairs without pausing?
    Yes
    No
  5. At 5:00 on the night before you leave for vacation, you look at your pre-departure list. You still have to pack your bags, pack the kids' stuff, drop the dog at the kennel, print out your online confirmations, get Junior to soccer practice, pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy, and gas up the car. On your way to soccer practice with the dog panting in the car, your "Check Engine" light flashes, taunting you. What's your initial reaction?
    Quickly call a friend to help or for advice
    Pummel your intestines with fried cheese
    Drive to the nearest shop for an automotive diagnosis, then systematically knock off everything else on your list
    Repeat to yourself, "Tomorrow, the Bahamas. Tomorrow, the Bahamas…"
    Curse car manufacturers, throw your cell phone against the windshield, yell at the dog and question why in the (bleep) you ever (bleeping) agreed to take a (bleeping) trip in the first (bleeping) place
  6. How many days a week do you take a 30-minute walk?
    7
    5 or 6
    3 or 4
    Less than 3
    Does 8,900 trips from the couch to the refrigerator count?
  7. Do you get sick when you travel more often than others you know?
    Yes
    No
  8. Make a list of direct blood relatives—parents, children and siblings. Circle the ones who had cancer before age 65. Put an EXTRA circle around ones who had cancer before age 50. Since many cancer-screening recommendations are based on knowing your family history, make sure your doctor knows of those family members who had cancer under 65 and under 50. Your doctor can make sure you have the appropriate tests. How many circles did you make?
    No circles
    One circle
    Two circles
    Three or more circles
  9. Do you smoke?
    Yes, around two packs a day
    Yes, around a pack a day
    No, but I inhale
    No, and I quit in the last three years
    No, and I quit more than three years ago
    Only secondhand smoke
    Never. Not a chance. No way. Nada
  10. Do you routinely take…
    two baby aspirins a day? Yes  No
    600 milligrams of DHA or 2 grams of fish oil, or eat 13 ounces of fish a week or a dozen walnuts in a week? Yes  No
    at least 800 international units of vitamin D-3 a day? Yes  No
    a multivitamin with less than 3,500 international units of vitamin A? Yes  No
    600 milligrams or more of calcium twice a day? Yes  No
  11. How often do you go to the bathroom? If it's more than 12 times a day or more than 3 times in a 3-hour period, you should get your urine tested for sugar
    More than 12 times a day
    About 3 times in a 3-hour timeframe
    Less than 12 times a day
  12. How often do you floss? How often do you see a dental professional?
    At least 5 days a week and once a year
    At least 5 days a year and hardly ever
    Hardly ever and Pretty often
    Got no teeth to brush, so no dentist
  13. What shape is your poop?
    S
    C
    J
    A period, or watery
    E, the Chinese symbol for magnificent
  14. How often do you poop?
    More than three times a day
    Two or three times a day
    Once a day, every day
    At least three times a week
    Less than three times a week
  15. How likely are you to fall asleep in the middle of doing something else like reading, watching TV, sitting in a movie theater or in a meeting? How likely are you to fall asleep while talking to someone, sitting quietly after lunch or stopped in traffic?
    Unlikely
    Somewhat likely
    Very likely
  16. How many days a week do you get good night's sleep of at least 6 1/2 hours?
    Zero
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
  17. Do you sleep…
    less than 4 hours any night of the week? Yes  No
    less than 3 1/2 hours a week, on average? Yes  No
    more than 10 1/2 hours a week, on average? Yes  No
  18. Women: Think of how often you had to shave your legs when you were 25. Men: Think of your face at age 25. How often do you have to shave them now?
    About the same
    Less…maybe a lot less
    Know where I can get a good body wax?
  19. Men: Do you get out of bed to use the bathroom during the night? Women: Do you wake up due to hot flushes or flashes?
    Yes
    No
  20. Do you notice a negative change in your interest in sex?
    Do you notice a negative change in your interest in sex? Yes  No
    Does sex feel about as pleasurable as walking on thumbtacks? Yes  No
    Do you reach orgasm less than once a week? Yes  No
    Women: Do you have an orgasm less than twice a week? Men: Do you have an orgasm less than four times a week? Yes  No
    Women: Do you have trouble becoming aroused or sufficiently lubricated? Men: Do you have trouble having an erection? Yes  No
  21. What is the average number of servings of fruits and vegetables you eat per day?
    Zero
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
  22. How many dishes prepared with curry or yellow mustard have you eaten in the last week?
    Zero
    1
    2
    3
  23. How many servings of tomato sauce or cooked tomato products have you eaten in the last three days?
    Zero
    1
    2
    3
  24. How many servings of nuts (a serving is about an ounce or a small fistful) have you eaten in the last three days?
    Zero
    1
    2
    3
  25. How many meals have you eaten in the last three days in which you did not fill yourself to fullness?
    Zero
    1
    2
  26. How many times in the last week did you…
    do yoga, tai chi, weight lifting or resistance training?
    Zero
    1
    2
    3 or more
    do cardiovascular exercise for at least 20 minutes?
    Zero
    1
    2
    3 or more
  27. In the last three times you went grocery shopping, how many times did you read the labels of packaged goods to find out what their first five ingredients were?
    Every time
    2 of 3 times
    1 of 3 times
    Do price tags count?
  28. In the last year, did you…
    see a primary care physician? Yes  No
    have a mammogram or PSA test? Yes  No
    get a flu shot? Yes  No
    have your blood drawn for testing? Yes  No
  29. Do you routinely…
    air out your dry cleaning someplace not inside your house? Yes  No
    buy non-toxic cleaning agents? Yes  No
    buy organic produce? Yes  No
  30. Do you know…
    your significant other's birthday? Or yours, if you do not have a significant other? Yes  No
    your blood pressure? Yes  No
    your HDL level? Yes  No


As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.