3 page reflection paper on age discrimination on popular social media platforms. APA format.
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Lecture2RCEA435ageism1.pptxThe Aging Process
RCEA 435
Aging (or AGEING in the UK)
Gradual process
Natural Changes
Begins in Adulthood
During middle age – body functions begin to decline
When are we OLD?
There is no specific age
Traditionally 65 has been considered the beginning of old age
First established point of supported retirement
Also a matter of perspective
A college student may view a 45 yr old professor as ‘old’
A young child may view a college student as ‘old’
Different Forms of Age
Chronological age
Based solely on the years of life
Is associated with health, but not predictive
Has legal and financial uses
Different forms of age
Biological age
Irrespective of age
Changes that occur to the structure and function of the body
Effects some people sooner than others
Lifestyle, heredity, habits and behavior, environment and disease can effect biological age
Different Forms of Age
Psychological Age
Based upon how people act and feel
A senior who engages in activities and plans for the future is considered psychologically young
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Cognition
With advanced age there is a normal decline in mental function
Reduces ability for language acquisition
Increased difficulty in recall (forgetfulness)
Though older adults generally have more ‘knowledge’ of the world than younger adults (Wisdom of age)
Dementia is a sever decline
Forgetting entire events or persons
Increases the difficulty in accomplishing the activities of daily living
“Normal Aging”
Some facts are unavoidable
Changes in Vision
Changes in Strength
There are some choices we make that can lessen the impact.
i.e. regular dental care and reduce the risk of lost teeth and periodontal disease with advanced age.
Life Expectancy
A child born at the turn of the 20th century could maybe expect to live around 50 years.
Today a child can expect to live around 76 years (male) and 80 years if female.
That takes into account childhood mortality, so really a 65 year old today can expect to live into their 80’s.
Lifestyle and LifeSPan
The following lifestyle choices can influence lifespan
Smoking
Drug Abuse
Weight
Diet
Lack of Exercise
Exposure to toxins/Diet
Exposure to environmental toxins can reduce lifespan
Diet
Figure adapted from: Simpson, S.J., Raubenheimer, D. (2009).
Macronutrient balance and lifespan. Aging, 1(10), 875-880.
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Health Care
Adequate health care access can increase life expetancy
Preventing disorders
Vaccines
Curing disorders
Infections, cancers
Why do we age?
Though counter intuitive, aging is a life saving process
The normal declines in function in our system can prevent cancers that would otherwise kill us according to Kenneth Minaker, MD. (Chief of Geriatric Medicine at Mass General Hospital)
This bares further explanation
Cellular Senescence and Replication
As certain cells in our body age they under go a process called “senescence” where the cells age and generally loose the ability to replicate
The cells tend to arrest progress in the G1 phase of mitosis, a critical point at which many human cancers show a change in function.
Thus normal cellular aging to a state of senescence may reduce the ability of cells to become cancerous.
Aging and ANgiogenesis
Tumors also require a blood supply to grow
Angiogensis is reduced with aging
This may explain the reduced rate of tumor growth associated with advancing age.
The evidence, does not universally support that age reduces tumor growth rates, some cancers spread rapidly in advanced age.
Genetics
Studies from animals suggest that genetics can effect lifespan
Drysophila and SOD genes
Additionally, aging reduces the length of telomeres with each chromosomal replication.
This has been linked to the process of aging.
