Living

How to be Happy and Healthy in Mid Life

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host

Published April 22, 2009 at 5:43 AM PDT

This story was published more than 14 years ago.

How do our bodies change when we reach middle age? How can we keep ourselves happy and healthy when battling the stresses of the current economic climate? We'll talk with a doctor who focuses on the connection between weight, mood and sex in midlife.

Originally aired on January 26, 2009.

Maureen Cavanaugh: The health problems of middle-aged men and women can develop like the classic chicken and egg situation. Which came first, the lack of energy, the weight gain, the sexual problems or the crankiness?

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Of course not everyone between the ages of 40 and 60 gets bogged down with the physical changes of mid-life. But most people experience some sense that their bodies and their mental states are not what they used to be. A new book, "The Great Life Makeover," identifies three major areas of health concerns for middle age people: weight, mood and sex.

Guest

Dr. Daniel Monti, director of the Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Co-author of "The Great Life Makeover."

Living

Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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