When does old age begin? Science says later than you might think (NatGeo)

Today’s 60 year olds don’t feel as old as a generation ago. New data suggests old age is more of a social construct than an objective biological reality.

Trying to stay forever young? It’s a popular goal: The anti-aging market, valued at $40 billion, is estimated to hit $60 billion by 2032. To stave off old age, people slather on wrinkle cream, pop supplements, and lift weights, among other interventions.

Though aging is often portrayed as a problem to fix, it’s more modifiable than you might think. According to the latest science, there’s no clear biological tipping point marking the transition from midlife to late life, says Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California.

“There’s an incredible amount of variability between different people,” says Verdin, who favors using someone’s biological age—which is how old your cells and tissues are—rather than their chronological age, which is the number of years you’ve been alive.

Full article: When does old age begin? Science says later than you might think

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This is funny and true. When I was a kid, 40 was old. I feared turning 40 until I realized I was the strongest and fittest I had ever been in my life. Then 50 was the bad birthday, but nothing. I regularly beat the 40-50 age groupers in my crits. Finally, 60 was a time for change but old has changed to 10 years older than wherever I am. I keep thinking I’ll get fitter and healthier over time; when that changes I’ll feel old.

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Companies need to stop wasting everyones time and stop destroying the credibility of the word ‘anti-aging’. There are are no ‘anti-aging’ treatments for humans. You can delay the onset of certain diseases, or prevent them, but not aging itself right now.

Cosmetics companies destroyed any possible credibility of the term “anti-aging” decades ago.

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If we continue point it out maybe they will stop because customers recognize that they falsely claim anti-aging and don’t purchase their products.