ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR BRAINS FOR THE FUTURE.
>> Reporter: THIS IS THE NEW
FACE OF FIGHTING ALZHEIMER’S.
YOUNG PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s AND
30s, EVEN FAMOUS MILLENIALS LIKE
FUNNY MAN SETH ROGEN.
>> IN YOUR 60s, YOU’RE SEEING
IT, BUT YOU DEVELOP IT IN YOUR
30s.
30s. >> Reporter: THE ACTOR IS PART
OF A STUDY ON EDUCATING TEENS
ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S.
ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S. >> THAT’S WHY WE NEED YOUR
MONEY.
MONEY. >> Reporter: SETH AND HIS WIFE,
LAUREN, CREATED THE ALZHEIMER’S
FUNDRAISER, HILARITY FOR
CHARITY, AFTER HER MOTHER WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH THE DISEASE.
>> ILLNESSES OF THE BRAIN ARE
STIGMATIZED.
STIGMATIZED. PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TALKING ABOUT
THEM.
THEM. >> WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH
HILARITY FOR CHARITY IS DESTILL
DESTIGMATIZE IT AND MAKE IT PART
OF THE CONVERSATION.
FUN AND FRIENDLY TO TAKE CARE OF
YOUR BRAIN AS A YOUNG PERSON.
>> Reporter: MORE AND MORE YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE MAKING RADICAL
CHANGES TO THEIR LIFESTYLES NOW
SO THEY WON’T GET ALZHEIMER’S
DECADES LATER.
DECADES LATER. COMPREHENSIVE, NEW RESEARCH OUT
THIS WEEK SUGGESTS HABITS LIKE A
HEALTHY DIET, REGULAR EXERCISE,
AND BRAIN STIMULATION MAY
DRAMATICALLY REDUCE ALZHEIMER’S
RISK IN OLDER AGE.
IN SOME CASES, BY UP TO 60%.
THE THREE OF YOU ARE IN YOUR 20s
AND 30s.
AND 30s. WHEN YOU GO OUT WITH YOUR
FRIENDS, IS BRAIN HEALTH ON THE
TABLE?
TABLE? >> NO.
>> NO. >> Reporter: SO MAX DECIDED TO
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AFTER HIS
MOM WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DEMENTIA.
HE STARTED LOOKING UP RESEARCH
ABOUT HOW TO REDUCE HIS OWN
RISK.
RISK. LAST YEAR, HE WROTE A
BEST-SELLING BOOK ABOUT DIET AND
THE BRAIN.
THE BRAIN. NOW, HE USES INSTAGRAM TO TEACH
YOUNG PEOPLE BRAIN HEALTHY
HABITS, LIKE EATING FOODS HIGH
IN ANTIOXIDANTS AND GOOD FATS.
AVOIDING PROCESSED CARBS AND
SUGARS, DOING REGULAR
HIGH-INTENSITY WORKOUTS, AND
PUSHING YOUR BRAIN WITH
EXERCISES LIKE LEARNING A NEW
INSTRUMENT.
INSTRUMENT. YOU SAY YOU WANT TO MAKE
DEMENTIA SEXY.
DEMENTIA SEXY. THAT’S THE FOCUS.
>> RATHER THAN WRITING THE
DEMENTIA PREVENTION BOOK, IT IS
A GENIUS BOOK.
WHO DOESN’T WANT TO BE MORE
GENIUS IN THEIR EVER DAY LIFE?
IF I CALL IT THE DIMENSION
PREVENTION BOOK, MILLENIALS
WOULDN’T BUY IT.
>> Reporter: TO EDUCATE HIS
PEERS, NIHAL STARTED THE YOUTH
MOVEMENT AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S.
IN ADDITION TO WORKING OUT AND
EATING RIGHT, HE MEDITATES EVERY
DAY TO REDUCE STRESS AND TRIES
TO GET EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP A
NIGHT, ALL LINKED TO BETTER
BRAIN HABITS.
BRAIN HABITS. >> IT NEEDS TO BE VIEWED AS A
MEDICINE IN AND OF ITSELF.
>> Reporter: THE CHANGES CAN
HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON HOW
YOU FEEL.
YOU FEEL. >> I AM A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
PERSON THAN WHAT I WAS.
>> Reporter: TO STAY THIN,
CHRISTINA USED TO DIET ALL THE
TIME, LEAVING HER FEELING CLOUDY
AND EXHAUSTED.
AND EXHAUSTED. WERE YOU STARVING YOURSELF AND
THEN, HENCE, STARVING YOUR
BRAIN?
BRAIN? >> YES.
>> YES. I WAS COMPARING MYSELF TO THOSE
GIRLS AROUND ME, AND I WASN’T
EATING ENOUGH.
EATING ENOUGH. ONCE I STARTED TO EAT AGAIN, MY
ANXIETY WENT AWAY, MY DEPRESSION
WENT AWAY, AND I’M PERFORMING
MUCH BETTER THAN I EVER HAVE
THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE LIFE.
>> Reporter: THESE YOUNG
TRAILBLAZERS WITH AN URGENT
MESSAGE, START PROTECTING YOUR
BRAIN NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
>> WHEN YOU’RE IN YOUR 20s, I
GET IT, THE LAST THING YOU WANT
TO THINK ABOUT IS WHAT IS MY
HEALTH GOING TO BE LIKE IN MY
50s AND 670s?
LEAD A BRAIN HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
NOW, YOU’LL ALSO FEEL BETTER AND
PROBABLY BE HAPPIER FOR LONGER.
>> WHAT A GREAT MESSAGE THERE.
WHAT A GREAT MOVEMENT, TOO.
MARIA, HERE’S THE THING, FOR
FOLKS LIKE US, ABOVE 20 OR 30,
CAN THE HEALTHY HABITS STILL
POTENTIALLY HELP REDUCE THE
RISK?
RISK? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS SAY IT’S
NEVER TOO LATE TO START FIGHTING
FOR YOUR BRAIN AND CARING FOR
IT.
IT. ANOTHER BIG THING IS SOCIAL
ENGAGEMENT.
ENGAGEMENT. INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE WHO MAKE
YOU HAPPY.
YOU HAPPY. INTERACTING WITH A PURPOSE, A
SENSE OF PURPOSE.
ACTUALLY GETTING UP AT 3:30 THIS
MORNING, COMING HERE,
INTERACTING WITH EVERYBODY HERE,
THIS WHOLE VILLAGE THAT PUTS
THIS TOGETHER, IT’S GOOD FOR MY
BRAIN THIS MORNING.
>> THERE YOU GO.