Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH models the benefits of preventive care. His research has shown to decrease the incidence of Alzheimer’s by 36%.
At about the time when our New Year’s resolutions lose their urgency, this almost 88-year old doctor models what it means to remain actively engaged. He still sees patients 50 to 60 hours a week and travels the world giving presentations. He works with wellness organizations and is enjoying life to the fullest.
I learned about him after he presented a passion-filled message for preventive care during the Stetson Family Foundation’s webinar on Alzheimer’s and Dementia. [TCV Update 1/9/2020 URL to webinar no longer available.] Dr. Cooper has been practicing for over 60 years. Forty-nine years ago, he founded The Cooper Institute. Today, the Institute operates as a non-profit research arm of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas.
Prevent Disease and Prolong Lives
In a field filled with fad diets, health treatments and more, his half-century of preventive care and research is the result of his aim “to base his work recommendations on scientific legitimacy, not faddism.”
“How does people’s health today compare with 1970 when you opened The Cooper Institute?” I asked.
“In some ways we’re better and in other ways, worse. Obesity is our biggest epidemic, today.” He cites the CDC’s statistics. [5/17/2024 TCV Update Prior URL broken; substituted CDC’s “Adult Obesity Prevalence Remains High; Support for Prevention and Treatment Needed”] He blames the obesity epidemic and resulting diseases on our increasing reliance on processed foods, soft drinks, and inactivity.
During the Stetson webinar and our call, he shared the results of the Cooper Clinic’s studies of 150,000 patients. Those who Get Cooperized™ live 10 years longer than the national average. His team has been tracking patients for as long as 47 years.
Turns His Attention to Alzheimer’s
The older we grow, the higher the incidents of Alzheimer’s. This reality has increased his own curiosity. While his oldest patient – 101 years old – still exercises most days and nearly aced the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MOCA) with a 29 out of 30 score, he has seen the ill-health of much younger people who are not taking care of themselves. They are developing Alzheimer’s and dementia, which in some instances they can prevent or delay.
He says research shows that Alzheimer’s is likely in our brains 20 years prior to being diagnosed. He’d like to focus on preventive measures during this period to reduce the onset of symptoms.
Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s
Barring genetics and other variables, these are the preventive measures his research has shown to reduce the incidents of Alzheimer’s.
Steps to Help Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease [7/6/2024 TCV Updated URL]
After studying 28,000 men and women over 50, those who took care of themselves – ate right and stayed active – had 36% fewer incidents of Alzheimer’s than the regular population. Even those who didn’t take care of themselves until the onset of the study, showed a 10% improvement (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2013 Feb. 5).
Alzheimer’s is the sixth cause of death in the U.S. We must take preventive measures.
The Man Behind the Phrase Get Cooperized™
Dr. Cooper attended high school and college as an athlete followed by medical school, which nearly did him in.
“I went from an athletic weight of 168 pounds and with only four hours of sleep and poor eating during medical school, I weighed 204 pounds. I developed arrhythmia (rapid heart rate) and went to the doctor.” He said, “at age 29, I was already old and in sad shape. I was pre-diabetic and had high-blood pressure. In one year, I ate right, exercised, and lost the weight. Since then, I’ve run marathons and even an ultramarathon [40 miles].”
Dr. Cooper is married (60 years) has a daughter and a son, and five grandkids. He still practices medicine and his son, Dr. Tyler Cooper now serves as President and CEO of Cooper Aerobics. His bio proves that the Cooper family has maintained good health habits for a lifetime. The younger Cooper bio reads: Sunday afternoons with the Cooper family consisted of jogging three miles together.
Prior to our telephone interview, I learned that he coined the term aerobics. (He made it a noun by adding an s to the verb aerobic.) He introduced “aerobics” to the world in 1968 with his book by the same name. In 1988, he started working with George W. Bush before he became 43rd President of the United States, and the President is still a regular patient at the Cooper Clinic.
Several times during our 50-minute call, he emphasized, “Exercise is medicine.” He added, “We’re less depressed when we exercise and are physically fit.”
If your New Years’ resolutions are waning, please get re-inspired by visiting
https://www.cooperaerobics.com/cooper-about/Documentary [7/6/2024 TCV Updated URL]
