Abstract

Due to some of the limitations imposed by MS, such as chronic fatigue, depression, and muscle weakness, patients often become sedentary, gaining excess weight and developing poor eating and exercise habits. The LIFE Program for MS is a user-friendly teaching tool that helps sufferers to incorporate new behaviors into their daily routines, to live a healthier life and reduce the chances of secondary illnesses, such as cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Drawing on her own experience as a professional athlete, as well as her work at the Jacobs Neurological Institute in Buffalo, New York, Susan J. Epstein provides readers with tips and strategies for healthy eating, managing weight, incorporating exercise into daily life, and managing and conserving both mental and physical energy for daily living. She also emphasizes the importance of establishing a support system of coaches who can provide the MS patient with motivation and reinforcement. Finally, she addresses the unpredictable factors in life that affect behavior outcomes, whether family, environment, vocation, or self-awareness.