Evolution and Progression of Global Aging Initiatives

Visual Map of the Life Course for Blueprint for Healthy Aging

The University of Arizona Global Campus

HUD 5420 Interdisc Theories of Ger Instructor: Gregory Hickman

June 6, 2022

Visual Map of the Life Course for Blueprint for Healthy Aging

Poor lifestyle is one of the major challenges/issues/problems negatively affecting healthy aging. As noted in week 1, a poor lifestyle comprises diverse factors: unhealthy diet, lack of physical activities, substance abuse, ignoring constant necessary medical checkups, and immoral behaviors. According to Bengtson et al. (2016) aging process commences immediately after birth, and there are a lot of stages involved that a child requires going through. An unhealthy lifestyle can interfere with the aging process by hastening some stages, making one appear older than the actual age going by date of birth. However, the factors promoting an unhealthy lifestyle get introduced into a person's life gradually, making the negative effect gradual. A practical imagery illustration perfectly illustrates how a poor lifestyle interferes with healthy aging.

Birth

Introduction to junk foods and unhealthy products

Lack of physical activities

Introduction to substance abuse and immoral behaviors practies

Development of lifestyle diseases

Inability to save as a result of high medical expenses and lifestyle maintenance

Internal organs destruction

Increased levels of stress

Poor health

Old age with no savings and poor healthy

From the above illustration, it is evident unhealthy lifestyle affects healthy aging as one ages. The introduction of unhealthy behavior and practices starts compromising the natural aging process. For instance, irrespective of age, a person begins consuming unhealthy meals. The body gets affected since it starts accommodating food products it does not need, converted, and stored in the body as fat. As a result, one starts adding weight leading to obesity. According to Hooyman & Kiyak (2011), obesity lowers a person's ability to engage in physical activities, further pushing the body to excess sugar and other elements that lead to diabetes, hypertension, and heart-related conditions.

As a child grows, they become more socially engaged, which increases the chances of peer pressure influence. As a teenager, any introduction to substances like drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol only worsens because they are toxic and can lead to the development of different types of cancers and internal organ operation interference (Kayser et al., 2019). Peer pressure also subjects teenage or adults to engage in immoral behaviors. For instance, sexual engagements and failure to take precautions lead to contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.

It is important to note that the higher the life challenges, the higher levels of stress, affecting the overall health hiking aging process. At the same time, developed lifestyle conditions compel one to constantly seek medical attention, which means all earnings are used to pay medical bills. Moreover, the higher the rate of chemicals in the body due to strong medications affecting internal body organs, further hastening the aging process. Lifespan must be affected by poor health and stress due to aging without economic and social stability.

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