Aging in the United States

AstheUnitedStatespopulationissteadilygrowingolder,we

continuetofocusonyouthandbeauty.Theblindfaithonthehealth

systemplaysabigroletoshapetheirviewsandperceptionsabout

aging.Forexample,mostAmericansbelievethatinnovationand

technologicaladvancementinthehealthcaresettingcanincrease

theirlongevityviaapillorsurgery.WiththeincreaseoftheBaby

Boomersgenerationreachingretirement,itisexpectedthatthere

willbeanincreaseddemandforhealthcareservicesandhealthcare

workersastheymayrequirelife-savingsurgeries,medicationsand

hospiceservices.Forothers,insteadofacceptingthatagingisa

naturalprocess,someindividualsfocusonmoresuperficialfeatures

suchasbeautyandyouth.Thiscouldbecausedbysocialmedia

platformsuchasInstagram,Facebook,andTik-Tokhighlighting

individual’sbestfeaturesthroughafilterthatmakesthemlook

perfectbutisnotrealistic.Thefocusonyouthcouldalsobeinpart

howsocietyviewscelebritiesasfashionandbeautyicons,whichis

alsonotrealisticasthesecelebritieshaveprofessionalmakeupartists

andcosmeticsurgeonstokeepthemlookingyouthful.The

combinationofsocialmediaandcelebritieshascreatedbody

dysmorphiaissuesandanageingavoidingsociety.Cosmeticsurgery

andnon-surgicaloperationstoalterphysicalappearancesuchas

rhinoplasty,liposuction,breastargumentation,evenBotoxandlip

fillershasgrownintoacommonsolutionforself-improvement.“Over

thelastdecade,cosmeticprocedureshavegrownfrom1.5millionin

1997,toover5.5millionin2020.”(ASPS).Thesenumbersshowhow

eventhoughthepopulationisgrowingolder,thereisstillahigh

importanceonbeautyandyouth.Ibelievethesenumberstobetrue

asIknowalotofpeoplewhohavegottencosmeticsurgeryandtalk

aboutitsocasualasifit’sthenormalthingtodo.TheU.S.hashada

largeincreaseintechnologicaladvancementandinnovationin

healthcarefromantibioticstolasereyesurgeriesandorgan

transplants,thesetypesofmedicaladvancementskeeptheolder

populationtofeelyoungerandlivelonger.Inthe1700slife

expectancywas30yearsoldandaccordingtotheWorldHealth

Organizationby2040lifeexpectancyintheU.S.willbe100years

old.Idon’tthinktheU.S.isafraidofagingordeathbutifwecanlive

longerandfeelbetteraboutourselvesbyusinginnovative

technology,whynot?

References:

ASPS.(2022).AmericanSocietyofPlasticSurgeons:2020Plastic

SurgeryStatistics.https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/plastic-

surgery-statistics

WorldHealthOrginizaiton(2011)GlobalHealthand

Aging.https://www.who.int/ageing/publications/global_health.pdf