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According to the United Nations (n.d.), “the proportion of persons aged 60 and over is expected to double between 2007 and 2050, and their actual number will more than triple, reaching 2 billion by 2050.” In other words, more and more people are expected to live longer in the days to come. However, longer lives doesn’t always equate to better living. As people age, they are faced with higher risk for health issues. Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes are some of the many problems that affect elder people’s health (“Common Age,” n.d.). Now, the status of one’s health is said to be influenced by the way they perceive their age. Based on a study conducted by doctoral students in Purdue University, biological effect may be important but subjective age also has strong effect on a person’s health (Nauert, n.d.). A survey conducted among young adults age 20-35 would show a trend of people’s perception regarding aging.
The short survey consisted of five questions related to the topic of aging. The results are as follows:
Based on the results, most young adults believe that a person age 60 can already be classified as an “elder” and that an additional 10 years to this age would mean that the person would already be weak. Most of the participants believe that today’s life expectancy is around 70 years old. In addition, anyone who would show some activeness at this age would not be normal, meaning he/she acts younger than his/her age. Furthermore, most of the participants feel younger than their biological age.
Overall, there is a risk that the participants will act a bit weaker than they actually are when they reach the age of 60 to 65 due to their perception of aging. Even if they would continue to feel around 5 years younger, when they reach the age 65, they will still regard themselves as “old.” Their idea of old, especially at age 70, is someone whose health is not as vibrant as one could be. Because the participants believe that life expectancy is only around 70s, there is a chance that their perception would affect their overall health when they reach that age despite the fact that the current life expectancy is around 80 years of age (“Retirement and Survivors,” n.d.). An improved perception of adding years to one’s life would probably help maximize the aging experience of the participants.
References
Common age related diseases (n.d.). Alzheimer’s and aging research center. Retrieved from http://alz-aging-research.org/diseases.html
Nauert, R. Age perception influences capabilities. PsychCentral. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/03/03/age-perception-influences-capabilities/11830.html
Retirement & survivors benefits: Life expectancy calculator. Social Security. Retrieved from https://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/population/longevity.html
United Nations (n.d.). Ageing. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/ageing/
