Since the 1950s, the phrase successful aging has been used increasingly to represent the factors and conditions underlying healthy aging and is often attributed to the healthy elderly. In this short review, the authors discuss the transformation in the social theories of aging that allowed for the evolution of successful aging as a construct and ultimately a theoretical basis for investigation. Because of the multifactorial nature of the psychosocial and biomedical domains, there is no clear consensus on the definition of successful aging or its determinants. What is clear, however, is that successful aging is related to the human health span, or healthy life expectancy. Moreover, the accumulating information from multidimensional studies suggests that many age-associated changes in physiological and cognitive functioning can be explained by such modifiable lifestyle factors as smoking, physical activity, and nutrition choice. The evidence presented supports the promotion of a healthy lifestyle as an effective strategy for successful aging.
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