An article in the New York Times this morning posits: “Is Retirement Unhealthy?” Their answer “It
depends.”
As our population ages and people live longer, retirement is
no longer just a few golden years, but can extend for many decades.
The Times cites a 2025 paper, The effects of retirement
on cognitive functioning based on a systematic review of longitudinal studies,
published in the Health Psychology Review, that retirement often leads to
cognitive decline often attributed to reduced stimulation and disengagement.
The Times cites another article, Sustained Purpose in Life
is Associated With Slower Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: A Longitudinal
Analysis With a Diverse National Sample, which links change in purpose to
cognitive function and argues that a “growing sense of purpose in life, may be
protective against cognitive decline in later life.”
How does this relate to the HOT DOG Diet? If you develop a love or interest in life
such as my love for hot dogs, every day can fill you with a sense of purpose
and wonder, a feeling of belonging to the great masses who love hot dogs and
this all stimulates your body and mind and soul and makes you want to jump up
and say “HOT DOG! IT'S GOOD TO BE ALIVE!”
Nazar, G., Cabezas, M. F., Reyes-Molina, D.,
Castillo-Trecán, P., Díaz-Toro, F., & Petermann-Rocha, F. (2025). The
effects of retirement on cognitive functioning based on a systematic review of
longitudinal studies. Health Psychology Review, 19(4), 689–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2025.2508987
Friedman EM, Thomas PA, Sauerteig-Rolston MR, Barnes LL,
Ferraro KF. Sustained Purpose in Life is Associated With Slower Cognitive
Decline in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Analysis With a Diverse National
Sample. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2025 May 8;80(6):gbaf021. doi:
10.1093/geronb/gbaf021. PMID: 39957536; PMCID: PMC12093315.