“I don’t think it’s really an option anymore to not be proactive,” the 38-year-old tells PEOPLE
Credit: Rumer Glenn Willis/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Rumer Willis partnered with Function to access advanced health tests after her father Bruce Willis’ dementia diagnosis
- She uses genetic testing to understand her health risks and proactively address concerns like brain and heart health
- Willis prioritizes small lifestyle changes to improve her health and be around as long as possible for her daughter
Rumer Willis is taking her health into her own hands.
The 38-year-old actress and eldest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore spoke to PEOPLE about partnering with Function, a health membership that offers more than 160 advanced lab tests, imaging and specialized assessments. Because of her father’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, she was drawn to the company’s APOE genetic test to determine her risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s terrifying to get answers sometimes,” she tells PEOPLE. “Obviously there are genetic things in my family. Not just dementia, I’ve had some family members who have had breast cancer and family members who have had different things.”
“But I think when you have information, it’s power,” she says. “And that sounds so, like, Spider-Man, but when we’re able to see, OK, maybe I’m more predisposed to this, you can just start actively working to reduce inflammation in your body, work on heart health, whatever it is. That’s why it’s been so amazing to be able to track a lot of those things with Function.”
“It also just feels like such an easy way to have information to share with your provider that says, ‘Hey, I actually have this data, so you can’t gaslight me about what’s happening,’” she adds with a laugh.
Willis admits that even before her dad’s diagnosis, being proactive about her brain health, gut health and reproductive health was a priority for her.
“I think health is one of those things that we take for granted until we don’t have it,” she says. “And I think that if you are taking small steps right now to be proactive about it, you might not have to have such a steep fall off the cliff as you get older.”
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Credit: Function
She tells PEOPLE that those “small steps” include things like taking her supplements, no longer wearing perfumes, or cooking at home instead of worrying about microplastics from takeout containers.
“They seem inane when we’re on Instagram scrolling and seeing all these things we should do, but it does make a difference,” Willis says. “We are essentially under attack in this world that we live in. There’s just so many things that we’re constantly combating. And I don’t think it’s really an option anymore to not be proactive about it.”
“So that’s one of the most important things for me, that I know that the actions I’m taking have a difference not only on myself, but on my daughter and on my ability to be around for her as long as possible.”
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