Living longer - change outdated ideas
To live longer we have to change outdated ideas of what it means to grow old.
Despite being called a “grand challenge” alongside climate change and terrorism, the fact of an ageing society isn’t new; it has been proceeding quietly across all developed countries for 174 years: data on female life expectancies starting in 1840 reveal an average increase of two months every ten years.
In contrast to the stultifying negative response to ageing, research points to the possibility of a much more positive vision. There are potential blockages, such as the obesity epidemic and worsening inequality. Not to mention politicians and think-tanks, some of which are seemingly hell bent on creating generational strife.
But, if these can be overcome, the promise of active ageing for all offers benefits for everybody, even the exchequer.
Read Alan Walker's Conversation piece on the topic.
14 April 2014