Lately, many people have been interested in all sorts of methods and methods to prolong youth – they play sports, follow certain diets, apply creams to the skin, take vitamins and nutritional supplements, etc. According to some data, people spend about 40 billion US dollars a year on prolonging their youth, and by 2030 this figure could increase to 60 billion dollars. But what is old age in general and at what age does it occur? At first glance, these seem to be simple questions, but scientists have not been able to give clear answers to them for a long time. This may be due to the fact that there is no clear turning point for its onset, unlike other stages of life, such as puberty or, for example, menopause. But experts still have a definite opinion on this matter.
Scientists believe that old age comes later than many people assume
How it has changed the concept of old age over the last 200 years
When it comes to the beginning of old age, different ages are usually mentioned – 60, 65, 70 years, etc. However, according to the latest scientific research, not only is there no clear turning point between middle age and old age, but it is generally wrong to link old age to chronological age. As a matter of fact, people relatively recently began to compare old age with the number of years lived.
For most of human history, old age was associated with an inability to perform normal human tasks and contribute to the life of the family. That is, as long as a person could work, do housework and participate in family life, he was not considered old.
The situation changed at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, when people began to retire upon reaching a certain chronological age, that is, regardless of physical health. In most countries of the world this age is 60-65 years. As a result, society has come to associate retirement age with old age.
Retirement age is not actually old age
However, people have a long life expectancy time is growing, and accordingly the moment of the onset of old age is also moving forward, which has already been proven by a number of studies. Therefore, it is incorrect to associate it with retirement age.
What is old age and how is it determined
What is old age? Aging is a multifactorial process characterized by the accumulation of damage and degeneration of all body systems. First of all, cascading deterioration leads to disruption of normal cell and tissue function. As a result, there is a gradual weakening of the body's activity.
During this period, the risk of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease increases sharply. For example, in the United States, almost 95% of people over 60 years of age have at least one chronic disease. And 80% of people have two or even more chronic diseases. Old age is also usually characterized by a decline in mental abilities due to brain degradation. As a result, a person’s memory, learning ability, etc. deteriorate.
Old age is characterized by severe degradation of all body systems
In recent decades, scientists have sought indicators of old age that accurately reflect a person's biological age. Attention has been paid to factors such as physical capabilities, DNA damage, lipid profiles, etc. But currently there is still no defined standard for assessing healthy aging.
As Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Aging Research in California, says, “aging is not something that suddenly happens. It's a continuum that makes it difficult to define. Previously, we told you that even human organs do not age at the same time, that is, some can grow old earlier and others later.
What determines the rate of human aging
The age at which old age begins depends on many factors, so it can vary greatly from person to person. Some people at 60 years old feel young and have a large supply of “vitality”. Others may experience all the symptoms of old age even at 50.
Over the past 10 years, people have begun to age later
Generally speaking, according to the study mentioned above, currently Nowadays, middle-aged and older people feel younger than their peers 10-20 years ago. Nowadays there are many more people who still feel young at 60-65 years old.
The reason for this is that our body can age faster or slower depending on what has happened to it during our lifetime. It's no secret that stress, chronic diseases, and regular lack of sleep lead to accelerated aging. At the same time, proper and healthy nutrition and exercise can slow down the aging process.
Let us remember that sport not only improves physical health, but also prolongs the youth of the brain. As a result, the person later develops problems with cognitive functions. In addition, mental stress, for example, learning foreign languages, allows the brain to remain youthful.
Japanese triathlete Hiromu Inada, who is already 89 years old
To summarize all of the above, then old age is largely “in the hands” of the person himself. Some people at 80 or even 90 years old are full of energy, play sports and lead a fulfilling lifestyle. It is quite possible that someday people at this age will no longer be considered old at all.