5 Healthy Habits for Successful Aging

Dr. Séverine Sabia and her colleagues from England's University College of London equated successful aging with good physical and mental health as well as with a lack of disability associated with chronic diseases. Their study looked at the habits of 5,100 men and women. These participants were first questioned when they were between the ages of 35 and 55 in 1985 to 1988, and then again during a follow-up study in 2008 and 2009 when most of the participants were at least 60 years old. When the study began, the participants were all free of cancer, stroke and heart disease.

The participants were asked about four healthy habits:

1. Not smoking.
2. Moderate alcohol consumption of one to 14 units a week for women and one to 21 units a week for men.
3. Physical activity (at least 2.5 hours a week of moderately intense physical activity or one hour or more of very intense physical activity a week).
4. Eating fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

Researchers compared the participants who said they observed the above healthy habits with those who said they didn't. The ones who followed all four behaviors had 3.3 times higher odds of successfully aging, Sabia and the other researchers reported. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/how-to-be-healthy-4-behaviors-critical-to-successful-aging_n_2323039.html

I think that people who are more aware of how to take care of their body will be less fearful of aging and feel more comfortable in their skin and engaging in other positive activities. It is important to enforce the above habits into our everyday lives even as young adults and teenagers in order to age beautifully!

Aging in America

Each year, more and more Americans are joining the ranks of the “very old.” By 2011, according to the Census Bureau, nearly two million Americans had celebrated their 90th birthday, a three-fold increase since 1980. By 2050, the total is expected to reach nine million.

But the surge in the elderly population is hardly limited to nonagenarians. Senior citizens are America’s fastest-growing demographic. Last year, the oldest of the baby boomers turned 65, putting them officially on the government dole. By 2030, when boomers are fully grayed, a fifth of the U.S. population will be 65 or older. Around the same time, the population of “very old” people, 90 and older, is projected to experience a 71 percent jump, according to the Census Bureau.

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2012/11/29/fiscal-cliff-social-security-medicaid/

I think now is the perfect time to concentrate of FIXING the skewed perception of older people (Stereotypes, ageism, etc.)

 If we don't......what will happen to misrepresented 1/5 of the population? 

Assisted Suicide - Right to Die

The images in the video showing elderly persons on hospital beds is powerful. They are suffering and their families are suffering - and there is nothing that anyone can do to help ease and release the person fun such a painful life.

Sound off from class discussion.

Ageism in Grey's Anatomy

This is a scene from a "Grey's Anatomy" episode. It is a fast forward into Meredith and Cristina's lives as older women. You can see the different stereotypes incorporated into the scene, first off starting with the microwave food, grumpiness, bad sight, slow, and almost being shown as a dumb person by not being able to find her glasses that are wrapped around her neck.

This is an example of ageism in the media.

The Changing Face of Aging

As stated in the video, more education can increase chances of having a better income, health care, and benefits, among many other things. I think education is also important for mental health because it increases our sense of self, and finding hobbies and interests or life philosophies that make us feel better about ourselves rather than not having much education and not being fully exposed to different lifestyles, ideas, cultures, and places all around. We would not be fully exposed to many things that life has to offer us intellectually as well.