"To some extent, the rate of physical health decline is up to you. The better you maintain your health, the less steep your decline. For example, the lung function curve for nonsmokers is a lot flatter than the curve for smokers. The better your health in a given year, the more you will be able to enjoy your experiences that year. So, yes, you will decline—but you have a say in the shape of the decline! That’s a good thing, because the better you’re able to maintain your health during your lifetime, the higher your lifetime fulfillment score will be."
-- Bill Perkins